


What are you doing New Year's Eve?

by Rioghna



Series: Holidays and other firsts [9]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Holidays, Mild Smut, Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-27
Updated: 2014-04-12
Packaged: 2018-01-06 09:44:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 34,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1105322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rioghna/pseuds/Rioghna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A magical accident leaves Bae in a difficult situation and Rumplestiltskin trying to fix things before the New Year.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A little magical oops.

What are you doing New Year's Eve?

A broken water heater the day after Christmas had to be pretty high on the list of things that truly sucked. But it could be worse; it could be the boiler. Neal Cassidy, Baelfire to his father and the part of the town that he seemed to be accidentally related to, put the wrench down and surveyed his work. It hadn't been his plan to end up working for his father. Not that he'd really had a plan, or one that extended further than getting to know his son, reacquainting himself with the love of his life, and perhaps, just possibly, getting to know his own father again. It was strange how things worked out. Now he was living with his girlfriend and their son, when the boy wasn't with his other mother, his grandparents, or Bae's own father and the girl who was going to be his step mother (who was sort of technically significantly younger than he was, but that was Storybrooke for you), and the mother to be of his new half sister.

That he'd ended up as his father's de facto maintenance man was another of those strange Storybrooke sort of things. His father had offered him literally anything he wanted, and while Bae knew that he meant it to make up to him for all that they lost, still it hadn't sat right with him. When Rumplestilskin had been human, he had instilled in his son a strong work ethic, something that held over from the days when they had nothing. But he had been in the shop on that fateful day, the day when there had been an unfortunately magical mishap with a tea pot. Apparently it was something someone found in the back of the cupboard but the tea it made put people to sleep. "Why can't people call before they use some strange item that's been in the back of the cupboard, probably for a reason, before they use it, I'll never..." Rumplestiltskin continued to growl as he made his way into the back room. At the same moment one of his tenants came running in; apparently a water pipe had burst and was even now pouring water out into the apartment. Bae had volunteered. He'd spent a good bit of his time knocking around doing basic construction and repair, and he enjoyed working with his hands, just like his father did. More importantly, he was there. Dove didn't do much repair work, and he wasn't exactly a young...well, he'd never been sure what the man was. His father had agreed, though he was fairly sure it wasn't what he would have chosen for him to do. But from there he had taken over a lot of the maintenance, and even set himself up doing other construction and odd jobs.

Behind the water heater, he could see something stuck there in the darkness. Bae doubted it was important, but it was better to get it out of the annoyingly cramped space now. You certainly weren't getting anything out afterward, especially where this one was. He wondered exactly how it had gotten here in the first place, tucked in a really inconvenient corner of the basement, inside a wooden surround, under the downpipe, which was a stupid place to put it. Perhaps, later, he could talk to his father about coming in and moving it. But for now, he reached out to grab the object. Not paying too much attention he put it aside, and continued with his work. It was an hour later, when he finally noticed the strange little thing he had pulled from the odd corner of the basement. It looked a little bit like a child's toy. Taking off his glove, Bae grabbed it to get a better look.

The boy who ran out onto Main Street was a sight. His eyes were round with fear, clothes far too big, and he seemed to have lost his shoes. Archie grabbed him by the arm just in time, as he ran right in front of a car before stopping like a deer caught in the headlights.. "Are you okay?" he asked. The boy didn't look familiar to him, and he knew pretty much everyone in town.

"I...I need to find my..." the boy paused. "I am looking for Rumplestiltskin," he said cautiously.

Archie looked at his watch. "He's probably in the shop now," he told him, before looking down the street towards the pawn shop. "Looks like he's open," he squinted, trying to see if the sign was turned from here. "But watch where you are going. It won't do you any good if you get run over before you get there," he said. It wasn't his place to judge the kid for wanting to see the man.

The boy nodded and with a 'thank you' ran off down the street towards the shop, at least stopping and looking before he darted across the street.

"And get yourself some shoes; you'll catch cold," Archie called after him, but the boy was almost to the door.

Mr. Gold, Rumplestiltskin to all but the tourists, was busy showing his grandson how to take apart a pocket watch to clean it. Henry was a bright boy and eager to learn, and with school out, he had volunteered to have him in the shop for the day. When the shop bell rang, followed by the sound of it banging shut, he rose carefully, and waved Henry to stay in the back. He hated people who banged his door and limped forward to give whoever it was a piece of his mind. Until, that was, he caught the sight in front of him.

"Papa?" A boy, dressed in oversized clothes with bare feet was standing in front of him, long black hair falling familiarly in his face.

He's always had his mother's hair, Rumplestitlskin thought for a moment, while he tried to make sense of what he was seeing. "Bae?" he asked, confused. It looked like his son, certainly, but not as he had seen him earlier this morning. His first thought was it was some kind of trick, some magical illusion. But, no, he was wearing the same clothes he'd been wearing this morning. He'd changed, the clothes hadn't; that was not an illusion that anyone would have the skill to craft.

"Papa, you're not...green," the boy finished, unsure exactly what to say. His father was dressed funny; actually, Bae realised that he was dressed funny, too.  But his father had also changed, or changed back. "What happened; did you..." he didn't know what to say.

"Hey Grandpa," Henry said, coming out from the behind the curtain. He'd heard his father's name and came out to see what was going on. "Pa..." He didn't get any further.

"Henry. " He turned to his grandson. "I think there has been an accident of some kind. We are going to need your mother, and Belle, possibly your grandfather Charming as well. Run get them please. Bae, come here, son," he said reaching out an arm. The boy was a little skittish but only a little. The sorcerer wondered what exactly had happened, but right now he needed to find out where he had been, if someone, or something had done this, and what exactly had been done. Then there was finding the object or person in question, before anything else happened. It was a miracle his son had made it to the shop. In fact, he wondered. "Bae, how did you get here? And where were you before?" he said, guiding him back into the back room. Henry, bless the boy, had taken one look at the young man wearing the clothes his father had on that morning, calling his grandfather 'papa' and without a word, took off from the shop. He was probably scared and confused, but he also had a frightening amount of faith in his grandfather.

"I don't know; I was looking after the sheep, and then I was in this place, like a cellar or a dungeon? There were steps going up and I was afraid, so I ran. When I got to the top there was a door, and I went out... I thought maybe you had done something, like magic, and it had gone wrong."

Of course, Rumplestiltskin thought as he sat his son down in the chair recently vacated by his grandson. Bae had never been keen on magic, well not after the first excitement of having his friends back home, and his father kind of a town hero. Before everyone had turned on him, or he had turned on them, depending on how you looked at it. Rather than focus on that, he looked the boy in the eye, examined him for any injuries. He should call the hospital as well, get someone over here to check his son for physical damage. But for now, he would have to assume a magical cause. "What day it is?" he asked him.

"Don't you know, Papa? Did something happen to you? If this is magic, can you... I mean, you aren't..." Bae looked at his father as if reminding him that he was back to his old self, and that meant no magic as far as the boy was concerned, but he was also in a strange world and really wanted to be back home.

"I'm fine, lad, but I need you to answer my questions so I can figure this out, right?"

"Okay, it's the fifteenth day of the new year. I just finished moving the sheep back to the fold. Morraine helped me, and we were going to go try for some rabbits for dinner." Morraine, but his son knew him with magic, so that would make him just barely fourteen. When he had brought the children home from the fighting, Morraine, daughter of their closest neighbours and Bae's best friend since they could both toddle behind their parents, had remained his son's closest friend. He'd actually had hope for them. Perhaps in a few years she would be ready, and while her father wasn't fond of Rumplestiltskin, he didn't hate him the way others did. He had been to war himself, and had only made it back when the splinter in an Ogre club cost him the sight in one eye during a late night attack. So the question became how. He'd certainly never made this magic, not that he could remember.

Before he could do anything else, the door banged open against the wall, the brass bell ringing like it was being ripped down. "Gold, what have you done this time?" Emma Swan's voice shouted from the front of the shop.


	2. Defining the problem and looking for a solution

"Stay here, Bae, all right? And don't touch anything," he said as he limped into the front. The door was opening as he came through the curtain. Belle looked as if she had run all the way from the library, (something he would have worried about if he had the time) and Henry was standing next to her.

"Granddad is coming," Henry said, as he followed her in, also breathing hard.

"What happened?" Belle said, trying to catch her breath as she moved towards him.

"Belle, would you go to the back room, help Bae find some shoes and a coat that will fit and then take the boys across to Granny's. This discussion is best had between myself and..." The third time the door opened, he was ready to make the brass bell disappear but held his temper as Charming joined them. "The Sheriff," he finished, tight lipped. Belle, knowing that she would find out soon enough what happened, started towards the curtain when the boy peered out.

"Hello Bae," she said. Henry had told her a little when he burst into the library as if a hoard of ogres was on his heels.

"Hello Miss," he said, bowing politely as his father had taught him.

"I'm Belle; let's get you some shoes and find something a little warmer for you. Henry, would you help me, please?" she asked, briskly taking over as if she had been doing this all her life. Rumplestiltskin smiled a little. His beauty was a natural; she would make a wonderful mother, he thought before turning to deal with the very angry woman in front of him.

"Now, Sheriff..." he started.

"What have you done to my..." She started but he hushed her.

"If we are going to have this conversation at your normal bellow, let's wait 'til after Belle has the boys out of here. I would rather do this without interruptions...though we are short on time." Even as he said it, Belle was coming out of the back room. She had managed to find his old short coat for Bae, and some shoes that probably came from that pile of miscellaneous junk that he had done no more than check for magic and not quite got around to getting rid of. His pants were rolled up, and she had got a belt for him. The boy looked a little concerned, as if he could see that something was up and he was being left out. He stopped to hug his father, and Rumplestiltskin could feel the pain welling up in his heart. To Bae, it had only been this morning since he'd hugged his father and got on with his chores, but for his father it had been so very long. Belle gave him a hug and a gentle kiss on the cheek before hustling the boys out of the shop. She was probably in for a lot of questions, but she was a librarian so she was used to it. They all watched as the door closed behind them.

"Now, what happened; what did you do to my...boyfriend?" she said, not sure what the right word was for the man she was living with but not married to, especially to his father. "I know you did something...you wanted this all along; how could you..." She was winding up fast, and he needed to nip this in the bud.

"What makes you think I did this? I'm just as surprised as you are. Do you think I would do this to you, or more importantly, do you think I would do this to Henry?" he said, his own voice rising in anger.

"But...this is what you offered him, back in New York, to take him back to a time before he fell through the portal, a new start for the two of you."

"Yes, it was, and he rejected it. If nothing else, can you not accept that I would not do this to him against his will? All magic has a price, as you well know, and this kind of magic, without his cooperation...first it would be extremely difficult here, and second, the price would be enormous. Besides, I'm to be married in just a few weeks, about to be a father again for the first time in over three hundred years...do you honestly think I would chose _now_ to try to become the father to a teenager, which you will discover soon enough, even with a wonderful boy like Henry, is a difficult proposition on its own?" His logic seemed to have seeped into Emma and he could see the Prince nodding behind him, one hand on his daughter's shoulder. "I suspect we have a bigger problem which is the other reason I called you."

"He was fine this morning," she said, trying very hard not to have a break down. Emma Swan wasn't one to break down in front of anyone, mpost especially Rumplestiltskin.

"And he was fine when I saw him on his way to fix a broken water heater in one of my apartments. So, either someone is practicing powerful magic between here and there, or he came into contact with a powerful magical object. If there is such a thing, it needs to be found at once or we are going to have an even bigger problem."

"So, if this is an object and not someone coming at you, and I assume you would know if there was another person capable of that?" she asked. He nodded. It would be a rare thing to manage that kind of feat without him being aware of it. "Then what can we do? I assume that the first step is going back to where Bae was right before he came here." Instantly she turned back into the capable sheriff that she was.

"Which is why I questioned him before you came here. He said he was in a dark place, like a dungeon. I would suggest you start with the basement in the apartments down next to the insurance agent's."

"And do you have something in your magical tool kit that will allow me to handle whatever it is without turning into a teenager?" She said looking at the man standing before her. Now that she was looking at him closely, she realised he was just as shaken as she was, probably more so. He was right; now was definitely not the time he would chose for something like this. Everything had been going so well between him and Bae (she was starting to have trouble seeing him as Neal herself, but in a town where everyone was usually two people, that wasn't the weirdest thing to happen) and he had Belle, and their impending marriage and baby drama. In fact, if she were to guess, this was exactly the _last_ thing he would want right now.

"I do have some gloves that will allow you to handle a magic object without being affected. We need to go to the house, and I will get you what you need. I would suggest you find that deputy of yours and have him seal off that basement though." Emma nodded, even as she was pulling her radio off her belt. This was much more important than Gregory's current position of keeping an eye on the office. "If it's not there, this will be more difficult, but maybe I can mix something up..." he said, starting to think.

"What should I do?" David said, bringing their attention back to him. He was pretty sure that there was a reason that they had called him away from the mayor's office. They both seemed to have forgotten him as practical thinking took over.

"There are only a limited number of people who could have created something like this, and I didn't do it. Regina, Cora, if it was her, that's going to be difficult to find out...Malificent might have," Rumplestiltskin said vaguely, his thoughts drifting over the list. "Someone should go talk to Regina. If she made it, or if Cora did. she would probably know about it. I need information."

"So I will go talk to Regina, while you two work on finding the what and why of it. Also, damage control; I will let people know that we have a magical issue, make sure the tourists don't see anything," he stated concisely. Rumplestiltskin almost smiled. David would have been a pretty good field commander if he had been the son King George had gotten, but that was a thought for another time. He wasn't sure what is said for the town that this was not only not the first time they had to go through this, but that they did it so often they had a procedure for it. "But what about the boys?"

"I will have Belle keep an eye on them; she is good with children," he said with a hint of pride and that look that came over the old sorcerer when he thought of his intended. Emma and David traded looks. If nothing else convinced them of the changes in him, it was the way he got when Belle was mentioned.

"Alright then, let's get started. I want this over as soon as possible," Emma said, voice getting sharp again. The full weight of it hadn't hit her yet, but it would soon enough, and Rumplestiltskin knew, just as he knew that it hadn't hit him yet, that it wouldn't be pretty when it did. If anything, this left him more sure than ever that Emma Swan was his son's true love. Pity that True Love's Kiss wasn't an option. With magic back, it might work on some things- if Bae had been injured or unconscious, perhaps- but right now, he didn't even know he had ever met her, much less that he loved her. He had just discovered girls; he certainly wasn't going to kiss a woman twice his age on his father's say so. David went out the door, saying he would call Regina and meanwhile keep an eye out just in case this was something going around.

"Gold, fix this," Emma said, as he turned the sign on the door and followed her to her car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks for the kudos and bookmarks. After my last two I was getting a little worried. Also thanks to my beta Lauren. Please read, review, etc. And Have a safe and happy New Year.


	3. Belle and the Boys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Rumplestiltskin and Emma scramble for a solution, Belle is left to deal with the problem.

Belle herded the boys carefully across the street towards the diner. Bae looked around as if wishing he had three more eyes. Of course, compared to what and where he came from, this was all...well, magic. She led them straight to the diner, and with a quick smile for Ruby, encouraged them toward the back booth. "Hey Belle, Henry," Ruby said, pouring a cup of coffee at the counter for two people she didn't recognise. "I'll be with you in a second." Belle just nodded distractedly. That there would be someone in the diner that she didn't know was the last thing she needed right now. Henry slid into the booth and encouraged the cautious Bae to join him. Of course, the boy had never seen anything like the diner, or Ruby for that matter.

Belle sat across from the boys, her back to the wall, so that all of the diner was in front of her. She was still processing what happened, and probably would be for some time. This was Bae; this was her lover's son, not as an adult, but as the boy he had been all those years ago. She couldn't even begin to understand how this must be affecting him, but that was something that should be dealt with later, probably when they were alone in their own bed and she could help him. Right now, she would have to trust the others to deal with the situation, while she dealt with the boys. There were certainly other ways to help than running around town.

"So, who's this?" Ruby said as she came over to them with a glass of iced tea for Belle in one hand. Belle preferred hot tea in the winter, and at home, but she had deemed the diner's hot tea undrinkable, privately of course.

"This is Baelfire, Bae, this is Ruby," she said, looking at the wolf girl significantly. Fortunately Ruby was both smart and good at taking surprises.

"Bae," she said with a smile. The boy looked at her somewhere between scandalised and amazed. He wasn't exactly sure where to put his eyes and had turned beet red.

"I...how do you do, Miss Ruby," he said finally, focusing completely on her face, but he still managed to be polite. His father had taught him well.

"I'm good; what'll it be for you two? Your usual, Henry?" she asked.

"Yeah, hot cocoa with cinnamon. What do you say Bae? You'll love it," the boy encouraged. Of all of them, Henry seemed to be handling it the best, but then he was young.

"What is it?" Bae asked. Belle smiled just a little. Of course he wasn't familiar with cocoa, or chocolate at all, there being none in the enchanted forest, even in her time. She had fallen in love with it the first time Rumplestiltskin had given her some, though she didn't have her lover's sweet tooth.

"You'll have to try it and see," she said with a smile. The longer she could distract him, the less time he would have for questions that she wasn't sure how to answer. He nodded at Ruby, and with a smile and a shake of her long, red-streaked hair, she returned to her place behind the counter. She could see her whisper to Granny through the kitchen window, and she knew that soon enough everyone in the diner who needed to know, would know that something had happened. It had its good and bad points, but right now it was what she had. First order of business was to take care of the boys and keep them safe.

"Are you two hungry? I don't know about you, but I'm starving. How would you like hamburgers?" Belle asked. Perhaps she was talking to much, but forestalling awkward questions was high on her list of things to do. But both boys nodded, though she was pretty sure that Bae hadn't the foggiest idea what a hamburger was and was only agreeing because he was biding his time. There was definitely a good bit of his father in him. But when Ruby came back with their mugs, Belle ordered for them all while Bae watched Henry sip his cocoa. After watching him, the older boy took a cautious sip. One was definitely enough, he clearly enjoyed it, and drinking his cocoa seemed to occupy all of his attention for a while. "You seem to be accepting all this pretty well," she told him.

"It's magic, has to be," he said with a shrug, though she was sure he wasn't as blasé as he seemed. But considering the situation, there were more important things at the moment. "I want to know, but I am kind of..."

"Overwhelmed?" Belle asked.

"That, yeah. That woman, Ruby, is she a..." Bae started to ask, blushing scarlet the moment Ruby had gone. "I mean she has a really short skirt and...er..." Henry almost snorted cocoa trying not to spit, and Belle froze for a second. That was definitely not the first question she expected out of his mouth, but then she thought about the inns and taverns that he would have been familiar with, and the difference in dress then and now. By his standards, she was scandalously clad.

"Ruby is the owner's granddaughter. Standards are a bit different here," she said, hoping that she was sharp enough that he wouldn't ask that kind of question again. Bae just nodded and studied his mug thoughtfully. She was pretty sure that questions would follow. Then her cell phone rang, and Belle excused herself. She knew it was Rumplestiltskin; she couldn't think of anyone else that would call right now.

"Belle, can you keep an eye on the boys?" he asked her as soon as she picked up. She knew that tone of voice, the one that meant that he was half buried in a plan.

"I would be glad to. But what do I tell him?" she asked. She resisted asking all the question that she wanted to; there would be time for that later. Right now, she was relegated to support personnel, and that was enough. In her condition, he certainly wasn't going to let her near any strange magic.

"Answer whatever questions he asks as simply as possible. My best guess it that this is some sort of magical item, so telling him anything about where he came from shouldn't have any effect. He is not exactly a past version of Bae, more like he has been taken back to a specific point in his own life..." He trailed off, already distracted.

"All right. Where should I take them when we are finished here? Back to the house? I mean, we can't stay in Granny's all afternoon."

"The house, I suppose, just..."

"Don't worry, I will deal with this; you just do what you need to," she told him. "Rumplestiltskin, I love you." She told him often, but right now, he needed to hear it as much as she needed to say it. He always told her it made him stronger.

"And I love you," he said. "I'll probably be in the basement when you get home, so keep them upstairs." Rumplestiltskin rang off and she returned to the table in time to see Prince Charming coming down the street, stopping occasionally to speak to one of the residents with a friendly but slightly worried expression on his face. He caught her eye through the glass and nodded to her before continuing.

When she returned to the table, Henry was kind of explaining cell phones to Bae. "Kind of like a magic mirror, only you can put it in your pocket," he said as she slid back into the booth.

"Was that Papa? Does he know what happened?" Bae asked as she picked up her glass. "And who are you to my papa?"

"Yes, it was and I...we're not sure what happened to you yet. But your father is trying to find out. For the rest..." she paused. She should have known, after all, she had kissed the man in front of other people too. From what she knew of her lover's past, that was not something that another would have done, certainly not at the time that Bae was thinking of.

"She's Gra...she's Mr. Gold's True Love; they are getting married in a couple weeks," Henry put in. Belle found herself blushing.

"Mr. Gold? You mean my papa?" Bae asked. They both nodded, and Belle hoped that the unknown customers would leave soon.

"Yes, here he is called Mr. Gold," Belle filled in, hoping they had got over the whole discussion of her relationship.

"I'm glad," Bae said. "Does that mean..." he lowered his voice and leaning closer to the them, seeming to have caught on to their caution. "Is that what happened to him? True Love's Kiss?"

"Something like that, it's kind of complicated," Belle said quietly as Ruby set their lunch down in front of them.

"Something like that? Belle here has your papa eating out of her hand," the wolf girl put in, trying to help. Of course now Belle had turned completely beet red. "Enjoy your burgers; we are going to be closing early," she said to the room at large. "Kitchen is closed, folks; we need to get ready for a party." The regulars just nodded, knowing exactly what was happening, and that they wouldn't get thrown out, but the couple at the counter didn't seem to want to make a fuss about it.

"So that means you are going to be my new mother?" he said, voice filled with awe.

"Yes, if...if it's okay with you?" she asked cautiously. Bae nodded carefully, as he was afraid that being too enthusiastic would cause her to change her mind.

Belle smiled back and directed the boys to their lunch. Henry was being an enthusiastic helper; knowing how his father liked his burger, he told Bae about ketchup and extra pickles; apparently some things were a family trait. Belle found herself unable to stop smiling at the boy. It wasn't going to last, but for now, it was kind of nice to see the Bae that Rumplestiltskin had lost. She wondered if it would help, if maybe having him around, even for just a day or so would remind her lover of how much his son had loved him before. He focused so much on where he felt he had failed Bae. That worried her a lot; not that he would fail their child, but that he would keep doubting himself, that one day he would leave her and their child 'for their own good'.

"Are you why my papa is no longer, well, like he was before?" he asked. They had all filled in the 'green' automatically, even Henry who had only seen his grandfather as he was the once, for Halloween. Belle had to think about that. In this world, True Love's Kiss couldn't break his curse; that had been broken by other things, things she would rather not even think about, though the pair had come through the other side closer and together. It left him with enough magic to continue to protect the town. When they returned to the old world, she wasn't sure, thought she was pretty certain that he would still be physically as he was now. Oh, his leg bothered him, and she knew he wished he could make himself whole permanently for her, though she told him it didn't matter, nor did the age difference. They still weren't sure what his life span would be, but Belle didn't care; she would take all the time she was given, only wishing they had not had so much taken away from them.

"That is part of it," she said finally. _Answer his questions simply, he says,_ she thought. _Didn't think about his son not asking simple questions_.

"Does this mean he doesn't have magic anymore? I mean, I know this has to be magic so..."

"What do you think happened?" Belle asked, hoping to work it easily from that end. The people at the counter were paying their bill, which would make things easier, thought they didn't seem happy with whatever it was that Ruby was saying to them.

"Is anything in this town open? We drove all the way from Portland," the man was saying loud enough to be overheard.

"Mr. Gold had a family emergency," Ruby said casting a quick look over at Belle and the boys. "I'm certain that if you come back..."

"Never coming back to this town again; lazy way of doing business," the man growled as he grabbed the woman's arm and left.

"Good riddance," Granny said the moment the door had closed behind them. "You relax and enjoy your meal, now that we don't have to worry about strange ears," she said to Belle and the boys. Bae looked deep in thought, contemplating a french fry half way to his mouth.

"I think that I'm in another world," he said quietly. "I heard Papa talk about them once, when he was looking though a book of magic he got somewhere. Everything is strange here, different. And he's older; his hair wasn't grey before. Did he do this?"

"Actually my mom did this," Henry said. "Or one of my moms." It was strictly true after all. Henry knew the truth, but he was a smart boy and didn't want to make his father sad. Bae fortunately didn't ask for further details.

"But if he doesn't have his magic is he going to be able to fix, well whatever this is?" he asked quietly. "You are nice and all, but I feel like I don't belong here. Something is wrong. "

"He still has a little magic," Henry said before Bae could get too upset. "He'll find a way." Belle certainly hoped that his faith wasn't misplaced.

"What about me?" he asked. "Is...is there another me somewhere here? Or do I just not exist?"

"There is not another you out there," Belle said carefully choosing her words; this was bordering on dangerous territory. "There is only one Baelfire."

"So why am I not any older; how did I miss the time it took Papa to get older? Why don't I know you?" He was getting upset and this was exactly what she wanted to avoid.

"I don't know, Bae, really. But I know that your father is doing everything he can to fix it. I am sure that soon enough things will be back to normal." She hoped she believed the words she said, but then what was normal, for any of them?

"I want go home, but I want my papa to be happy. He wasn't very happy before, not since..." he said warily, trying to find the words. "My mom went away; she didn't want to be with us. But you are his true love, and that's important," he said finally. "Whatever he does, I want him to have this."

This was hard, and going to be harder. Belle knew that despite what he had said, Rumplestiltskin had been as good a father (and mother) as he had been able to be in the old world. The boy kept looking at her, though, as if he was seeing something new. She hoped he didn't think she was trying to replace his mother. The adult Bae was well aware of what Rumplestiltskin's first wife had been, but what about this boy? He knew they weren't happy, but she doubted he knew the details. At least he could be glad of his father's happiness.

"Let's finish and then we can show you where your father and I live."

"Yeah, the house is awesome; it's full of all kinds of cool junk," Henry said. Belle sighed. Dealing with two boys couldn't be nearly as difficult as what Rumple and Emma were dealing with, she told herself, though she wasn't sure she believed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you are enjoying this. Thanks for all the kudos and subscriptions. And extra thanks to my beta, Lauren. Due to a snow storm here, there will probably be more soon. Read, review, all that sort of thing.


	4. Home again, home again

They walked carefully back to the house, Bae full of questions about the surroundings, the people, actually pretty much everything. She let Henry take over, only actually contributing when he needed her or had the facts wrong about something. Bae was most fascinated by cars, and Henry was trying his best to explain.

"They are..like a horseless carriage," he told him, probably having got the expression from school history.

"So what makes them move then; is it magic?" Bae asked, watching in fascination as Dr. Whale drove by in his red sports car at a rate of speed that would have probably gotten him pulled over if Emma and Gregory, her deputy, the former Sir Gawain.were out.  He was a good choice, being reliable and literally, probably too honest for his own good; he'd never have Emma's skills as a detective, but that wasn't exactly what they needed mostly. Day in, day out, Storybrooke was a pretty peaceful place, crime-wise. Actually she had hired him because he was the only one that applied, and she needed someone to handle things like tourists and their inability to drive properly. Belle distracted herself from the contemplation of Emma's deputy to wonder what exactly Whale was doing driving that fast in the opposite direction from the hospital. She wondered if Rumplestiltskin had called him. After all, while he wouldn't necessarily trust him with Belle and the baby, looking his son over after a magical mishap...he might actually be the doctor for the job.

"There is this thing, a motor, on the inside." Henry was still trying to explain the marvels and workings on the internal combustion engine to his father. Bae was good with his hands and with machinery; she knew that from the work he did for his father, so it wasn't really a surprise then that he was fascinated by machinery even at this age. She did hope, however, that they got him back to normal before he decided to take that fascination out on the Cadillac. While she was fairly certain that Rumplestiltskin would be indulgent bordering on overindulgent while his son was here with them and as he was, she also knew he would draw the line with letting his son take the car apart to see how it worked.

As they reached the pink house, she saw more cars parked in front than had been there since the Christmas Eve party they had thrown only a couple of days before. Besides the Cadillac in its accustomed place, there was Emma's yellow Volkswagon, called a bug for some reason that she had never got round to finding out, David's pickup truck, and yes, Dr. Whale's red sports car. She really needed to get around to looking into why people called cars the things they did, Belle thought, but filed it in the back of her mind for later, maybe when she took time off for the baby.

"Why is this house pink?" was the first question Bae asked as they made their way up the front walk to the door.

"Because we haven't gotten around to painting it," she said. Actually they had talked about it, neither of them really _liked_ the colour but there were so many things that were more important, so pink it stayed.

"Then why did you build it that way?" he asked, and she groaned. Of course, coming from a world where people got new houses only when something happened to the old one, buying a pre-built house was out of his experience. Rather than answer, she showed him into the house, with Henry right behind her.

"Right now, we have company so let's go see who's here and what is happening," she said, and the boys followed right after her, both very interested to know what was going on. She led them into the kitchen, figuring that unless they were in the cellar with Rumplestiltskin and his laboratory, they would be in there. She had come in the front door deliberately, knowing that they would be heard, and anything that little ears shouldn't hear would be hushed up by the time they got there.

In the kitchen, Emma Swan was leaning up against the counter with a take away container of coffee, while Dr. Whale tried to make conversation, clearly not getting very far with her. "Hey Belle," she said as they entered the room, clearly grateful for their arrival. Henry ran to his mother and gave her a hug. "Hey kiddo, how was lunch?" she asked. Belle could tell she was trying studiously not to stare at Bae.

"It was good; we had hamburgers. Bae, this is my mom, Emma."

"The one who..." Bae started to ask, looking around, unsure as to who was and wasn't aware of what was going on but Henry was quick on the uptake.

"No, that's my other mom. It's kind of a long story, I'll tell you all about it. Can we go upstairs and play?" he asked though if it was permission from Belle or Emma, even he probably wasn't sure. But it was Emma that answered him.

"In just a minute, ok? Bae," she addressed him for the first time in his current...condition. She was trying for reassuring and hoping that she managed it. "This is Dr. Whale. Mr...your father would like him to take a quick look over you, make sure everything is fine." She sounded hesitant, but Belle couldn't blame her; there were entirely too many things wrong with the situation.

"There is nothing wrong with me," the boy said, sounding like he was going to rebel for the first time all day.

"It's okay, Bae; let the grown ups do their thing, so we can go play," Henry said. Bae nodded reluctantly. Belle thought she had to remember to do something especially nice for him later. The door to the cellar was open, and she cast a look over towards it. She wanted desperately to find a reason to go down to her lover's laboratory and thrown her arms around him. It had been a long day, and she was starting to feel a little frazzled, though she knew he was probably in worse shape. Before she could pursue it, there were footsteps on the stairs, and David Nolan appeared from the cellar, the sound of glass breaking behind him.

"Belle," he said immediately, "I'm glad you are here....um...he's..." The Prince seemed a little flustered and not sure what to say or do.

"I'll make him some tea," she said diplomatically. "He likes his afternoon tea." She was almost certain that Rumplestiltskin hadn't just thrown a piece of crockery at Prince Charming, but he did have a bad habit of throwing things when he was frustrated. "Why don't you help Dr. Whale with Bae?" The suggestion was the best she could come up with the current situation. "In fact, why don't you all go into the dining room?" She suggested. Belle was fairly sure that Bae was at the age where opening his shirt in front of strange women would make him uncomfortable, but she hadn't wanted to leave him alone with Dr. Whale with no adult around. This solution seemed to please everyone and David led them into the dining room, while Emma stayed exactly where she was, as if she was frozen to the spot.

Belle set about making an afternoon pot of tea, putting the kettle on the stove, warming the pot, getting out the tea leaves all the while wondering if she could or should ask Emma if she was all right. Fortunately Emma broke the silence. "This is so...surreal," she said softly. "And this is coming from someone who's parents are a Disney movie. And did your fiancé just throw something at my father?" Apparently things were still catching up with her.

"I doubt he actually threw it _at_ your father," she hedged just a little. "And believe me, this is surreal for someone who _is_ a Disney movie," Belle said with a smile. "Can you catch me up? What do we know?" she asked as she continued to prepare a tea tray for Rumplestiltskin.

"It was a magical item, which apparently is the good news, though that part's a little beyond me. Looks like he found it when he was putting in a new water heater; fortunately he finished installing the water heater and testing it before this happened or in addition, your boyfriend would have a flooded basement and tenants with no water or worse. What I think happened is he found it, either before or while he was putting in the water heater, and when he finished, he took off his work gloves and picked it up. Apparently it works on skin contact. I would probably have been okay with regular gloves, but he says it's better to be safe," she said jerking her thumb in the direction of the cellar. "Actually, said he's going to try to make up some extra pairs of magic proof gloves for me and Gregory, just in case." Belle nodded, giving the woman her attention while still fixing the tea.

"That sounds like a good idea; maybe David as well, and possibly the people who work on the ambulance?" she said as she took the chipped cup carefully out of the cupboard and smiled at it, as she always did. "So is that all we know? And would you like a cup of tea?" she asked.

"No, not really a tea drinker." The kettle started to screech and Belle moved to attend it. "Ummm, Regina didn't make it, but she doesn't know about Cora; she said she would go through her mother's things and see if she has any kind of record or something. Not sure exactly; she talked to... my Dad," she trailed off. Calling David her dad was still taking work. Looking at her parents as her parents, especially after all that had happened was a process, one she had really thought that Bae was helping her with, him having his own parent issues, as they said in this world. "She did say that if she found something she would bring it right over." That got Belle's attention. She wasn't Regina's biggest fan, though things were slowly getting better. Still she preferred advance notice if she was going to have her around. Also she wasn't necessarily sure that her being anywhere near Rumplestiltskin right now was a good thing. As if on cue, the sound of more breaking glass came up from the cellar.

"I'd best take this," Belle told Emma with a smile. "Before he runs out of glass to throw."

"Better you than me," she said. "Are you sure it's safe? I mean I know his bark is worse than his bite, most of the time, but..."

"He would never hurt me," Belle said as she picked up the tray and started towards the stairs. "Besides, I'm quite fond of his bite." Emma almost choked behind her as Belle carefully carried the tray down the stairs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my beta Lauren and the people who are reading this. This chapter is brought to you by the music of the Proclaimers and Karine Polwart without which I would never get anything done.


	5. Magical problems

The sound of footsteps on the stairs caused Rumplestiltskin to look around for something else to throw. He hated having people hovering over him when he was working, and even worse when they couldn't help at all. "Exactly what part of leave me to get on with my..." he started, but paused when he saw Belle at the door.

"It's me, and I brought your tea down," she said starting into the room.

"Belle, NO," he shouted, dropping the glass jar he had picked up. "Don't come in here!" he ordered, sounding harsher than usual. Instead he rushed around the end of the work table to meet her at the door.

  
She didn't look angry about his shouting. She always responded to his commands immediately, a habit ingrained at the Dark Castle. In the doorway, he took the tea tray carefully from her, and put it down in an empty spot on one of the tables. "Sorry, love, but I don't want you or the baby anywhere near this," he said, as he carefully removed the gloves he was wearing and took her into his arms.

From above Emma Swan appeared. "All good down there?" she asked, but seeing the two of them wrapped around each other (again), she backed away.

Belle giggled, and Rumplestiltskin looked at her. "Care to share, love?" he asked. She could see the stress in the lines of his body, but right now, he was just that little bit more relaxed.

"I think I accidentally traumatized Emma again. She said something about your bark being worse that your bite. I may have mentioned that I happen to be fond of your bite." Rumplestiltskin grinned. It wasn't a natural expression for him, not with anyone but Belle, and maybe his grandson.

"That you are, love. But that's for later. Did they send you down as a sacrifice to sooth the savage beast?" he giggled a bit, just like the old days, with a flourish of his long fingers.

"No one sent me; I came to spend a few moments with the man that I love," she whispered and snuggled into his arms. They both had a lot to do, but right now, they needed this, just a moment of comfort, the reminder that the other one was there. "I take it things are not going well," she said, attempting to move them out of the doorway and into the room, but he wouldn't even allow that.

"No love, I don't want you anywhere near this magic. I don't know how it works."

"Afraid that you will be even more a cradle robber than you already think you are?" she teased.

"It's not that love, though yes, it could be awkward. I didn't even know you when you were fourteen. But sweetheart, if it changed you back to your fourteen year old self, you would no longer be pregnant, and I'm not sure..."

"If you got me back, what would have happened to the baby?" she said, suddenly understanding and involuntarily stepping back into the hall, dragging him with her.

"Exactly, love. But that will never happen. I will never let anything happen to either you or the baby. We'll not be taking any chances with this one. I will die before I let either of you be hurt," he said. His eyes had gone intense, and she could almost see him as he was. It was almost terrifying, that she had that much power over him.

"No, love," she said holding him even closer. "You will live for us, you understand?" It took a moment for what she was saying to sink in, but he nodded and tightened his hold on her.

"But it shouldn't come to that. What is going on upstairs?" he asked, still holding her close. The comfort and reassurance were more important right now than anything else. He needed her, and he needed to think.

"The boys and David are with Dr. Whale in the dining room. Why did you call him anyway? I know you don't really trust him."

"For magical mishaps, I honestly can't think of anyone better suited. He doesn't actually believe in magic, no matter how often he sees it, so he is more likely to notice something that others won't. But I'm glad David is with him."

"And Emma is standing in the kitchen, probably worrying about Bae and what we are going to do. I'm worried about that too," she admitted, pressing her face into his shoulder. This was Rumplestiltskin as most people never got to see him. The jacket, waist coat and tie had all gone; he had unbuttoned the first couple of buttons of his shirt, and had a large apron over everything. She thought that he looked wonderful, but she knew she might be a bit prejudiced.

"For now, you go upstairs and see if David will keep an eye on the boys; you need to rest."

"How can I rest right now, with all this going on? I'm not fragile, Rumplestiltskin; I can help," she said stubbornly. She had wondered exactly how long it would take before his overprotective streak turned into an actual problem, and here it was. They were in the middle of a crisis, and he wanted her to take a nap!

"I'm still allowed to worry about you, love. I think this might take some time; it's not exactly as simple as some of the other magical items we have dealt with and it might take a fair bit of magic. Why don't you let the boys entertain themselves? Bae is going to have to stay here overnight; yes, I know that isn't going to make Emma happy, but right now, he doesn't even know her. We need some clothes for him as well; why don't you leave them with David...I don't even know what all..." He ran his hand through his hair, disturbing it more than it already was.

"I'll take care of that; you keep working on...whatever it is you are working on. But no more taking it out on the crockery, alright?" She asked.

"I'll try, and I'll clean this mess up. I don't want you down here at all. Not that I don't love seeing you, but it's just better if you don't, okay,? For the baby." She nodded, and he gave her a kiss before showing her pointedly at the stairs.

The rest of the day passed relatively quietly. Fortunately Belle didn't have to leave the house. By the time she got upstairs, Dr. Whale had left, pronouncing Bae healthy (at least for a boy of his age, and considering where he had just come from) and went to consult Rumplestiltskin in the cellar (after being warned about his mood by David). The boys went upstairs to the spare bedroom that had once been left more or less as Bae's and now served Henry when he was visiting. Mary Margaret, after a call from David detailing the problem, showed up with some clothes for Bae that were more or less the right size and take away, before helping to convince Emma, Henry and David to leave them alone. Rumplestiltskin didn't come up to join them for dinner, and David bravely volunteered to take it down to him after Belle's reassurance that he wasn't actually throwing things anymore. However he did take the hint and just leave the food without waiting around and bothering the sorcerer. Prince Charming wasn't stupid after all.

But after they left the house, Belle wasn't exactly sure what do to with herself. She was tired, more tired than she expected to be. Finally she showed Bae how the shower worked and left him to his own devices while she settled down on the settee to read for a bit. After a while, the boy came down the stairs. He had changed into the pajamas she had given him, though he didn't seem to know what to make of them.

"Why am I getting dressed to go to bed?" he asked her. She didn't really have an answer for that, but then they came from a land with entirely different body modesty requirements.

"It's strange, isn't it? But they do things differently here," she told him.

"Yeah, that Doctor, Whale? He had all these strange things that he put on me. He let me listen to my heart beat though; that was pretty...cool?" he said, trying out the new expression he had learned from Henry. "Where is Papa?" he asked her. He hadn't seen his father all day since they had left the shop, not even for a moment.

"He's down in his laboratory, trying to figure out what happened to you. I know you want to see him, so do I. Maybe..." she thought, but he had told her he didn't want her to come downstairs at all, and she didn't think it was wise to send Bae. But as she said that, she heard sounds in the kitchen. "That's probably him now. Why don't I go get him?" she asked. If he was in a foul mood, she didn't want Bae to see it. The boy just nodded, he seemed a little wary of his father, but only a little.

Belle went into the kitchen to find Rumplestiltskin leaning against the work surface, his cane nowhere in evidence. He turned as she came in and his expression changed to a weary smile immediately. "Just needed another cup of tea, love." Belle could see concern and exhaustion in every line of his body; she only had to look at him, and she knew he couldn't keep this pace up for long.

"I'll make that; why don't you go sit in the living room for a little bit, spend some time with Bae."

"Belle, I need to get..."

"Right now, your son needs you. He's scared, Rumple," she said. "You turned him over to a bunch of strangers and disappeared. With everything else, right now, taking a few moments with him will do you both a world of good."

He nodded in silent agreement, stopping only to kiss her gently, a reminder that despite everything else, he was still thinking about her as well. Then, moving carefully since he had probably left his cane in the basement, he dragged himself into the other room, bracing himself familiarly on passing furniture and cursing the fact that he left the stick down below, before ordering Belle not to go and get it for him. She nodded, and turned to make the tea.

When she came into the living room, tea tray balanced on one arm, Rumplestiltskin was sitting on the settee with his son at his feet, watching the flames in the fireplace. He was running his hands through the boy's hair and talking quietly to him. When they both heard her, they turned and she saw with a smile that Bae looked much calmer and so did Rumplestiltskin.

"Are you really going to have a baby, Belle?" Bae asked in amazement, as she brought the tea tray and set it down on the small occasional table that was there pretty much for that purpose. "You and my papa?"

"We are, in about five months," she replied. She was a little surprised that he had told the boy, but since it made him happy, she didn't mind.

"Can...can it be a girl?" he asked. "I always...well, I kind of wanted a little sister," he said. He had no way of knowing that was exactly what his older self had said to Belle when she had first found out. They didn't even know which version of him would be here when the baby was born. She bit her lip.

"Well, I don't think we can do anything about that, but your father seems to think that it is going to be a girl."

"I know it will be, and the next time we go have one of those tests they will tell you that. They could have the last time if the little mite would turn to face the camera," Rumplestiltskin said with a smile. "But that's for later. Right now, you should get to bed, young man. You have had a long day," he told his son.

"All right, but... will you come tuck me in? I know that I haven't..." he blushed a little, but they both understood; he was too old for his father to tuck him in, but right now, he was feeling the need. Rumplestiltskin nodded, even though they both knew what a toll the stairs would take on his leg. Belle remembered his other stick in the hall stand and ran to get it before the two of them made their way towards the stairs. "Will you come with us, Belle?" he asked, just as they started to go up. She couldn't resist. Even though this was never going to be her son; in fact, soon enough he would be back to his adult self, with a child of his own. Still, Belle could manage for now to be the mother that he never had before.

They had only just gotten back to downstairs from settling Bae; the boy had fallen to sleep almost instantly. Rumplestiltskin was picking up his cup of tea, and making noises about going back downstairs to work when someone knocked at the front door. Before he could get up again, Belle rose to answer it, against his objections. Her love was still overprotective, and that definitely extended to answering the door after ten o'clock at night. But right now, she was faster, and she seriously doubted that anyone would come over unannounced without a good reason knowing what was going on. Of course the person at the door was the last person Rumplestiltskin would want her opening to.

"Regina," she said, trying for polite, while torn as she usually was when the other woman was around. Regina was...getting better. She had some of the same problems Rumplestiltskin did, and she thought they might have been talking about it, but not here. He might be willing to accept that like him, she was trying to be a better person, but he wasn't going to trust her with Belle, not now, maybe not ever.

"I found it," the dark haired woman said, rushing past her into the living room, a leather covered book clutched triumphantly in her hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as always to my beta, Lauren and all the people who are reading. Please enjoy the trip. Usual disclaimers etc.


	6. Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part of the problem appears.

"Found what?" Rumplestiltskin said, standing up from where he had been on the settee, tea cup still in hand as the woman came through the open doorway.

"The answer, or part of it anyway," she said as she shoved the book at him "It was my mother; she's the one that created it. I wasn't sure, but..." Regina paused for a moment almost as if she wasn't certain what or if she should say more.

"Would you like tea?" Belle asked. There may be a lot of difficulties with this woman, but Belle was determined to be a good hostess regardless.

"I...yes," she accepted, almost as if she was confused by the welcome.

"Rumplestiltskin, sit down and finish your tea; surely whatever you have to discuss before you get back to work is better done here, rather than in the cellar." She rarely gave him orders, but she knew he had been overdoing it today. She wanted some answers herself, and this was the best way to keep this conversation in her sphere. Regina looked a little surprised when the fearsome sorcerer nodded fondly and then sat back down, waving her to a nearby chair.

Belle was back in moments, a second cup in her hand. She did the honors, pouring out for Regina before settling back next to him on the settee. While she knew that there had never been anything between Regina and Rumplestiltskin, they had the bond of an apprentice relationship, which she would never have. Also, he was one of the few people who could sympathise with her situation, and Belle knew how easy it would be to take sympathy for something more. She trusted Rumplestiltskin, but she wanted to make her position abundantly clear.

When Regina realised that they were waiting for her, she began, haltingly at first. She didn't know what Rumplestiltskin had told Belle about his relationship with her mother, but considering that the girl had been remarkably forgiving to her, she didn't want to be the one to explain it to her. "My mother made it, or at least this sounds like it, a boy's wooden toy soldier, hand-carved."

"But why would she want to turn someone into a child, or is that what it is supposed to do?" Belle asked, as Rumplestiltskin read over the entry in the book Regina had been carrying.

"Not any person; me, apparently," he said, looking up. Regina had the good grace to blush, or at least look embarrassed about it.

"And I say again, why? What was the purpose? You didn't have your powers when you were a boy, why would she want to turn you back into..." She trailed off as she tried to figure it out.

"But she was trying to do it in such a way that it wouldn't break his curse," Regina explained. "Since there are or were, only two known ways to break the Dark One's curse. Imagine it, all the Dark One's power, in the confused body of a young boy." Imagine it Belle could, and the images that it conjured up were horrible. She knew something of Rumplestiltskin's childhood, and it wasn't particularly pleasant. Given away to a pair of old spinster sisters, he had been cared for and educated as best they could, but they were neither young nor particularly patient with the young man. While they may have loved him, they never stopped telling him how useless his father was. He'd confided in her, in one of his rare moments of discussing his childhood, that he had always tried to work twice as hard as the other boys in town because he wanted to prove he wasn't worthless like his father. The harder he worked, though, the more they had expected of him. Yes, taking him back to that time would have made him particularly vulnerable.

"Why fourteen? Or was she just trying for some time in your childhood?" She had a horrible feeling. What if something had happened to Bae, or would it effect anyone the same way.

"That was the year I lost my aunt," he said. "The age was very deliberate; in fact the time is specific, just after the new year. I had finished my apprenticeship and was just starting my journeyman year. I finished my apprenticeship in record time, because both my aunts were spinners and I'd been at the wheel from the day I was big enough. My master was a good man; offered me a place in his shop, despite my father's reputation. Another master would have kept me as apprentice longer, to get more work from me. But I couldn't live in with the other journeyman because I was all my aunt had. She died just after the new year, and suddenly I was alone, with a house of my own to care for, a bit of land, and a couple of sheep. Overnight, I was a full adult, a landowner. It was a lot, and I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to do. If I'd woken as Bae did today, with no memory of the intervening time, and with the full power of the Dark One..." He paused. Belle was actually a little surprised that he had said that much, especially in front of Regina. He hated talking about his past. Of course, Regina was the right one to understand the importance of all this.

"And a wealthy, beautiful woman came to take you under her wing; regardless of anything else, my mother was a beautiful woman. Sorry Rumple, but she would have swept in, convinced you that she would care for you. She could be charming, as you well know, and of course I imagine you had no experience of women at that age."

"At that age, girls were still mysterious creatures," he acknowledged with a half smile, thinking of Bae as he had been, as he was right now.

"That is appalling!" Belle said, horrified, and clutched Rumplestiltskin's arm. The two of them could admire the creativity, but all Belle could see was the horror.

"It is, love, but Cora had a very interesting image of what was and wasn't appropriate. It wouldn't have worked anyway, I don't think. Looking at her notes, it looks like the results are unpredictable," he said, getting distracted once more with the structure of the spell. "But now it's best I get back to work. Regina, are you interested in helping? I could use another pair of hands."

Belle looked stricken as he waved the other woman towards the kitchen where the cellar door was. She was horrified that he would even consider the help of this woman, not after all that she had done. More than that, she was feeling left out, and alone. They would always share this, and she never could. But before he left, Rumplestiltskin turned to her. "Go up to bed, love. It's going to be another full day tomorrow," he said with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I'm not a child, and I don't need to be handled like one," she growled at him.

"Sweetheart, what's the matter? I know this disturbs you; it disturbs me, but there will be time for that later, after we have fixed Bae."

"Yes, you and Regina. Why do you trust her to help you, after all she has done to us?" She knew she wasn't making much sense but she was feeling overwhelmed.

"Are you jealous, love?" he asked calmly, turning her face gently towards his. "You know there is no need. I wouldn't have her here at all, except that she has both the information and the skills. But it looks like I am going to need an extra pair of hands, and as much as I love you, you have no magical ability."

"I could assist; I could...hand you things," she said vaguely. Belle knew she was being childish and it was probably the hormones, but giving in was taking a lot.

"I would never risk you, or our baby. Look at it this way; I would much rather risk turning Regina into a teenager or worse, than risk anything happening to you or our baby. Now, let me get back to work, and with any luck, we can sort this all out and get my son back to his right age. I have often wanted to make up those years, but now is not the time. I want to be able to devote myself to you and our baby." He leaned over and kissed the tear that had rolled down her cheek and then gently he kissed her mouth. With Rumplestiltskin being so tender, she couldn't stay mad at him long, especially when he was right. Belle returned the kiss with a bit of tired fervor to remind him how she felt about him and slowly dragged herself out of his arms and allowed him to go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm glad that people are enjoying this. Thanks as always to my readers and to my beta, Lauren. Please continue to read and comments are always gratefully appreciated.


	7. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter that is the reason the rating just went up. A little bonding between Belle and Rumplestiltskin in the midst of crisis.

Belle woke to a cold and empty bed and a deep feeling of dread. She hadn't slept alone since one of the earliest magical disasters to plague them. But before she could get more than a little disturbed, the door opened and her tired love came in. He was bone weary; she could see the exhaustion in every line of his body, but as her eyes met his, she could see the smile bloom on his face. He moved to the bedside and carefully sat down next to her, not objecting in the least when she instantly reached out and curled around him. "Miss me, did you?" he asked as he pulled her into his arms. "I know I missed you." He leaned down and kissed her, and Belle could feel the beginnings of a hunger that was probably misplaced with everything else that was happening. Still, she couldn't stop herself. She opened her mouth against his and he had never needed any encouragement. It probably wasn't fair; he was exhausted and they were in the middle of a crisis, but it didn't seem to make any difference. She heard rather than saw one shoe hit the floor, followed by the other, without once stopping the kiss that he was busy deepening.

"Rumple..." she started to say as he released her lips to turn his attention to her neck. "What about..."

"We have some answers and a potential solution, and I sent Regina home. It's early love; I was hoping to get into bed before you noticed I was missing," he murmured against her throat. "But since you are awake, and for the moment we are alone..." He left the rest of it hanging as he got distracted, lowering his head to her breast through the thin cotton nightdress that she was wearing, probably in deference to his son. Certainly he had been more than plain about his opinion on _that_ , and in his personal promise to keep her warm in any and all ways that she would allow.

Belle decided that she wasn't going to let this opportunity pass. If he had come up to bed, even for a little while, it meant that things were under control at least for now. It might not be over, but it was no longer either a nebulous danger, nor immediate. Meanwhile, the doctor had been clear (clearer than perhaps Rumplestiltskin had been comfortable having discussed) that intimacy was perfectly natural but at some point it would become difficult and not necessarily advisable. She was determined to take advantage while she still could. She reached between them and began unbuttoning the crumpled dress shirt while she could still think. If he had his way, he would have her completely naked and too distracted to care before she got his shirt off. She tried to understand, really she did. It had taken a lot of convincing for him to accept that she not only enjoyed what they did together, but she actually enjoyed looking at him, touching him, and undressing him just as much as he did her. "Here," she whispered, trying to pull him further towards her on the bed.

"And what is it you want of me, my Belle?" he asked, his accent thick with desire, a wicked sparkle in his tired eyes. For a brief moment, Belle felt completely selfish. He had been up all night working on saving his son, and here she was distracting him, instead of encouraging him to get the sleep he needed. But then again, she knew how much he wanted her; he was always very clear about that. Perhaps this would be just what he needed to settle down and sleep for a few hours. Rumplestiltskin was prone to forgetting that he was human again and couldn't keep going for days and days without his body giving out. Of course the problem was he would still _do_ it, unable to read the signs anymore, and she would be forced to intervene before he did something irreparable to himself.

"I want you right here in this bed, letting me take care of you," she replied giving him a cheeky grin of her own. He hated being managed, well most of the time, so the trick was to make sure he didn't care. "But first," she said, reaching down. She unbuckled his belt and made quick work of button and zip. "I think you are overdressed." It didn't take any more encouragement than that for him to strip out of pants, underwear, and even socks. He laid down where she indicated willingly enough, before smiling up at her. Belle rose up on her knees, taking a moment to enjoy the sight of him. He wasn't perhaps what would be called conventionally handsome, but she found him beautiful, all lean muscle and angles, enough taller than she was to require her to stretch for a kiss but not tall enough to overwhelm her with his size, or make her feel like a child.

"I think it's you who's overdressed now, love," Rumplestiltskin said, his voice just a bit rough. She could tell he was indulging her, but only so far. She smiled, and lifted the gown over her head in one motion. He pulled the gown from her and tossed it vaguely in the direction of the laundry hamper, before reaching for her. She allowed him to pull her in for a long kiss before she drew away and begin kissing her way down his body. As she nibbled her way slowly across his lower ribs, he moaned, reaching out to try to pull her back, but she managed to slip from his hands.

"Belle," he growled, just a hint of warning, before she dropped lower and pressed a promising kiss on the inside of his thigh. He let out a long hiss of pleasure and a soft keen that let her know she had him exactly where she wanted him. She nipped the flesh just a little higher, causing him to let out a deep moan. Belle rewarded him as she pressed a kiss to the spot, and slowly kissed her way back up, taking him carefully in her mouth. Rumplestiltskin let out a sound halfway between a moan and a growl as she nuzzled her way down, pausing only long enough to breath over him watching him shiver in delight. It wouldn't be fair to tease him for long; she knew that, and her own desire was getting rather unbearable. Slowly, reluctantly, she gave him a final stroke with her mouth, pausing to kiss the tip before she leaned herself up on her knees.

Rumplestiltskin looked at her wildly, grabbing for her, only to have her slip away. His brown eyes had gone completely dark, his breath harsh and erratic, and Belle couldn't think of a more beautiful sight. She slipped out of her knickers, and smiled before carefully straddling him. Neither of them was going to last very long, but she didn't care as she sank down on him. He growled something that might have been her name, reaching up to touch her, running his hands over as much of her as he could reach, finally resting on her hips, trying to pull her closer.

Their bodies knew each other so very well, and very shortly she felt the change come over him. Looking down, he had his fist pressed against his mouth, only a low cry reaching her ears. That was all it took; she fell over the edge herself, throwing her head back, eyes squeezed shut, trying to hold in her own scream of pleasure, before collapsing in his arms, trembling as the last little aftershocks rolled through them, their sounds of pleasure lost against each other's mouths.

Belle wasn't sure how long they lay there cuddled up together. Rumplestiltskin had pulled the blankets back over them, and she may have slipped into a light doze when she heard a soft knock at the door. Immediately she blushed scarlet, wondering if Bae had heard anything. She slipped out of bed quickly, and grabbed up a robe from the foot of the bed. What was she thinking, seducing him with his son sleeping down the hall? But then, why shouldn't she? Certainly he was fourteen, and before his mother left, they had all slept in the same room. It was doubtful he would be surprised. He probably had more idea of what went on between two adults than she had at that age, but she had grown up sheltered. It didn't make it any less embarrassing. But she wanted Rumplestiltskin to sleep at least a little while.

Belle opened the door to find the boy standing tousle headed outside, looking only a little curious. "Is my papa still asleep?" he asked. He didn't seem the least bit embarrassed about finding her there wrapped in a robe.

"More like he just got to sleep; he was up most of the night. But what are you doing up, it's still early?" she pointed out, smiling down at the boy.

Bae shrugged. "I always get up early, to tend the sheep. But there are no sheep, and I don't know what the chores are," he said, looking a little lost.

"Right now," she started, but heard a rustling behind her.

"Bae?" Rumplestiltskin said sleepily from the bed. _Damn_ , she thought. _I was hoping he would sleep for a while._

"He's fine; you should get some sleep," she said to him.

"Let him come in," Rumplestiltskin said. "Come on, lad," he said calling his son in. He had propped himself up on the pillows. Though he was decently covered in blankets, Belle was feeling a little embarrassed knowing what they had done in that bed recently. But Bae crawled up on the bed and sat cross-legged next to his father. She was fairly certain that only a few years earlier the boy would have crawled in with his father, but she could tell that he was feeling a little too old for that. With his other arm he waved her back to bed. Belle laid down for a moment, snuggled up to Rumplestiltskin on the opposite side. It was a nice cosy family scene, and she wished for just a moment that they could have this. But then she realised that they would. Oh, it wouldn't be Bae; that option was long gone. Bae had these moments with Henry and Emma. But perhaps it was possible with their little girl, maybe a boy of their own (she was certainly willing, so was Rumplestiltskin, but they decided to make that decision after this one). For now, she knew that her love needed time with his son.

"So, why don't I leave you two alone, and I go and start breakfast? I assume we are going to have company later?"

"We are," he said. "Probably more than I would like, but we can discuss it later, after breakfast."

"Did you find something Papa? Some way of fixing...whatever is wrong?" Bae asked. He seemed of two minds, and Belle felt this was probably a good time for her to slip away. She planted a kiss on Rumplestiltskin's cheek and slide out of bed, grabbing some clothes and heading for the bathroom while he answered behind her.

"We know what happened, and we might have a way of fixing it. But it is going to take a couple of days," he warned. "Meanwhile, perhaps we can spend some time together? This is a very different world to the one you are used to."

"That would be great, Papa," the boy answered.

When Belle returned, Bae was laying down next to his father, telling him about the things Henry had shown him yesterday.

"I'll go get breakfast. How do pancakes sound?" she asked.

"What's a pancake?" the boy asked. The word 'cake' certainly perked his interest.

"You will find out soon enough," Belle told him as she hung the robe up and left them heading for the kitchen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More story finally. Timing issues with me and my beta delayed this. Also, smut. I'm not terribly good at it, so when it jumps on my and I have to write it, well, I hope it turned out well. All comments etc. greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading and commenting and thanks to my beta Lauren who managed to find time to do this in a very busy schedule.


	8. Magic

The tea was made, bacon sizzling in the pan, and the pancake batter was ready to go into the skillet as soon as it was hot enough. Belle had been reading about nutrition lately with the baby coming and had recently been trying to reform their eating habits. Not that they were particularly unhealthy, but there was just so much new information, so much to learn. Frankly, Rumplestiltskin was an indifferent eater. He enjoyed good food, but had very few food preferences. She remembered back at the Dark Castle where he would have lived on toasted bread, jam, and tea if she had allowed it; actually she wasn't sure he hadn't been living on it here. Admittedly she had been an impossible cook back then (and she was fairly certain on more than one occasion he had actually made the food disappear rather than eat it) but she had got better with time (and a good cookery book). Now she was pretty good cook, or so he told her. But that didn't necessarily mean he was any better about remembering to eat, unless she cooked and put it in front of him. 

Belle heard footsteps overhead and (moments later), the sound of pounding on the stair. She was pretty sure it had to be Bae, as Rumplestiltskin rarely moved that fast unless there was an emergency. Moments later the boy came through the door, still disheveled from sleep and in his pajamas. "Bae, come sit down. Is your papa asleep?" she asked, hoping that he was doing the right thing. 

"No, he's in that shower thing," the boy said, as she directed him to seat at the far side of the counter, so he could watch without being underfoot. "He said he would be down shortly, because if he didn't eat, you would chase after him." 

"Did he? Well, if he doesn't want me to chase after him, he should be better about remembering to eat." She smiled at the boy and turned the bacon in the pan. She could practically see his eyes go wide at the large plate of bacon draining on paper towels, but she knew that big meals weren't part of his life at the moment. 

"Papa never eats much," Bae said a little sadly. "He says he does, but then he gives it back to me, or he did before..." he paused, trying to decide what to say, but something made him continue. "Before he became the Dark One, there was never enough food. He thought I didn't notice that he always gave me the biggest portion, but I did. Now that he's changed, there is always food at home. He can...er...could conjure it up, or spin gold to pay for it. Sometimes people in the village bring him things, you know, so that..." he trailed off again and Belle couldn't help but take pity on him. This was all so hard.

"I know about how your father was, before, or how he is were you come from. It doesn't change anything," she reassured him. "He would do anything for you or me. He's trying, really trying. There isn't much magic here, but he tries to only use it to help people."

"Are you..." the boy started to ask, but they heard the sound of his father coming down the stairs. She directed him toward putting things on the small table where they usually ate breakfast, while Belle began to make pancakes. 

Rumplestiltskin came into the room slowly, stopping to stand in the door and watch for a moment. Belle had pulled her hair up and was wearing a light dress with his apron over top and pouring batter into a skillet, while Bae put plates on the table. The sight was so domestic, so very perfect. He wished he could capture this moment when his son was still a boy, no deal broken and his Belle was here with them. The two most important people in his life together moving around the kitchen,preparing breakfast. It was so very...normal. But before he could get too lost in maudlin thoughts, his son turned to him and moved to give him a hug.

"Look Papa, I helped Belle with the table. Can we eat now?" 

Rumplestiltskin smiled indulgently at his son. Leave it to the boy to be thinking about his stomach. "As soon as the pancakes are ready. Belle, love, shall I pour your tea?" he asked as he started to move to the table. Bae ran to his side and ducked under his father's arm, letting him lean on him, even though he had his stick. It had been a long time since he'd leaned on his son, something the boy had done before he'd become the Dark One on those days when he worked too hard. He let himself enjoy it though, knowing that Bae was doing it for the comfort and the familiarity.

"Please; I got distracted," she said as she flipped the pancake, attracting Bae's attention. Rumplestiltskin sat down at the table, fixing two cups of tea, one from each pot. There were a lot of things he was willing to share with his love in deference to her pregnancy, but giving up caffeine, especially today, wasn't one of them. It was one of his few indulgences, not being overfond of relying on chemical stimulants. After a short while, Belle joined him and Bae at the table, looking forward to introducing him to pancakes. 

Breakfast was a pleasant affair. Bae enjoyed his pancakes and syrup; clearly he got his sweet tooth from his father, and managed to put away an amazing amount of food before they were interrupted. First it was Emma, with Henry. "Figured they could keep each other company today," she said, a little uncomfortably. She wasn't exactly sure how to handle the situation, and Belle was pretty sure that she wasn't going to deal with it, not well until he was himself again. Instead of voicing any of this, she offered them breakfast, which Henry accepted immediately, Emma somewhat more slowly. Smart woman that she was, she'd brought her own coffee. Rumplestiltskin drank the stuff occasionally, her not at all, nor would she right now on caffeine restriction as she was, and neither one of them actually made it. Bae had asked for hot cocoa, and Belle was happy to comply for both him and Henry, though Rumplestiltskin was starting to look at her in that way he had, implying that she was overdoing it. Mind, he mostly thought that her getting out of bed was overdoing it. If he'd had his way, she would have quit the library the moment she found out she was pregnant, but he tried to keep it to himself after their first argument. As it was, he had insisted that she allow the cleaner to come in every week and limit her household chores, which was a compromise she could more or less live with. She agreed to respect his right to be over protective as long as he trusted her not to overdo it. 

Next to arrive was David, checking on progress and seeing if they needed anything. Rumplestiltskin assured them that they had a plan and that it would best be discussed later, by which he clearly meant when the boys weren't around. Taking his cue, Henry whispered something to Bae, and the two boys politely volunteered to clear the table for Belle before asking if they could go play upstairs. Once the kitchen door was closed, they could hear the boys take off, running up the stairs as if they were racing. Come to it, they probably were. 

Instantly the Belle felt the atmosphere in the room transform from a casual family dinner to something more akin to her father's war room. "You got some answers, Gold?" Emma asked immediately. She had never been known for her patience. 

"Answers; yes, I do," he said slowly. Belle wondered; she could see something...closed in his manner. She knew he wasn't going to share with them all that he had learned last night but some of it would have to come out. 

"So, good news?" David asked, trying for light, and only sort of managing.

"It was created by Cora. Regina found some notes in one of her mother's books, and we were able to deconstruct the spell last night," Rumplestiltskin admitted, but he still wasn't giving anything away. There was a certain discomfort that went around the room at the thought of Regina and Rumplestiltskin doing magic together, but there was little that could be done about it. "We can reverse it," he said finally. "A potion will be required, and it is a bit...difficult."

"What do you need?" Emma asked, clearly eager to be doing something.

"Nothing you can provide, unfortunately dearie. I have most of the ingredients and will take care of getting the rest today. Then it just requires time to brew; it will take about two and a half days, give or take an hour."

"What aren't you telling us?" Belle asked. She knew the man better than anyone, and she knew he was holding back. He looked at his true love and tried to appear innocent. 

"What makes you think..." he asked her, but the hardening of her expression told him that she wasn't going to let him get away with it. He sighed just a little, barely perceptible unless you knew what to look for. "It will require constant monitoring, constant attention, but that's hardly..."

"And you are planning to spend the next three days devoting yourself to it," she said, anger coming out clearly. 

"Belle, I..." he started, but she was already on edge, angry that he had managed yet again to try to get around her. "It's nothing," he said finally.

"If it just needs watching, we can set up a rota or something, there's no need for you to do it all," Emma said, grateful now that she had something she felt she could contribute. 

"We can all..." Belle said.

"No." Rumplestiltskin said, flat and implacable. There was only so far he was willing to give in, and that was too far. "I've already told you I don't want you anywhere near the cellar. If I thought it would do any good, I would send you to stay with your father. And its not as simple as watching a pot boil," he told them. "It needs to be fed, magically speaking, stirred and tended. I will handle it." 

Now it was Belle's turn to object, while Emma and Charming stood by feeling like they were in the middle of an argument that was more personal than they necessarily need to be witnessing, especially when they weren't certain there was anything they could do to help. "I'm not going anywhere. And so you plan to spend the next three days, when you are already low on sleep and whatever magic you spent last night, devoting yourself to this potion? All magic has a price; you taught me that. Three days of a slow, constant drain of magic could very well kill you. You aren't immortal anymore!" She shouted at him, tears forming in her eyes. 

"She's right," Emma said quietly. She admitted that she wasn't completely comfortable with her...whatever he was to her. However she knew exactly how far he would go for his family, and right now he was willing to do anything, regardless of the cost to get Bae back for her, even with his true love and a baby on the way. "There has to be another way. Besides, if you fall out, we have no way to finish. What about...can I do anything?" Emma had been completely unwilling, once she found out that she had magical abilities, to do anything about it. But that was then; this was now. 

"I don't..." he started to say, but the look on Belle's face made him reconsider. She was upset, and he knew he should be taking better care. What he had forgotten was that by taking all the burden, he was causing her more distress. Yes, left to his own devices, he would do the entire thing himself (never mind the cost), but he wasn't thinking straight and considering the cost to her. Perhaps she was right; he was tired, though he wouldn't admit it, even to himself and he didn't plan this well. He was too accustomed to being alone, to being the only one who could do anything. It had taken a lot to trust Regina last night. Also there was the amount of energy necessary after the potion was brewed. Then there was Belle. She had been holding up remarkably well considering, and the stress he would be putting her under couldn't be good for the baby. "Perhaps there is a way, Miss Swan," he said, relenting. 

"And there is Regina. You trusted her last night; surely you can trust her to add energy to a potion," Charming pointed out. 

"I suppose," he said reluctantly. Belle smiled at him in a way that promised reward later. 

"So Gold, you can teach me what to do?" Emma asked, already thinking about how to deal with her schedule. The idea of Regina participating didn't make her any happier than it had Rumplestiltskin, but she was willing to admit that the woman had been trying. 

"I can try," he admitted, reluctantly. "If there were a way of replenishing..." he said distractedly, clearly having been caught by a random idea.

"What about the Fairies?" Charming said. "They have magic. I know it's limited, and you don't really..."

"I don't want them in my house," he said with a growl. "I don't want them anywhere near my family, not now, not ever." Belle moved quickly, sensing his mood and placed a gentle hand on his back. The motion seemed to soothe him, even if it was only a little. Charming and Emma looked at one another and tried to ignore the intimacy between them. With Belle, Rumplestiltskin was much easier to deal with, but no one wanted to point it out to the proud and prickly sorcerer. 

"It's a good idea, sweetheart," she said to him. "I know you don't trust them, but a little more magical energy would go a long way."

"Their magic and mine has never been particularly compatible. I don't know that it would even work," he said, looking at her. Unfortunately his lovely lady was right; with three of them, even as untrained as Emma was, they would probably have the strength to pull it off, perhaps. Unfortunately that counted on them being able to use Emma's power, not to mention everything going right, which was never reliable. "I can't ask her," he said. "I don't want those bloody fairies in my house." 

"I'll go ask her," Charming volunteered. "I know that you don't...exactly get on." That was the understatement of the year. They weren't actively antagonistic anymore. They even managed to be polite to one another when necessary, but Rumplestiltskin didn't trust the Blue Fairy, and having heard the whole story, he didn't much blame the man. 

"It probably won't work," the sorcerer said, though he had a feeling that he was being overruled on his own territory. But with Belle sitting next to him rubbing small, reassuring circles on his back, he knew that as much as he would prefer to handle everything himself, he had larger responsibilities.

"Rumple," she said. "You can't do it all, and even if you could, do you want to spend the few days you have with Bae stuck in the cellar, stirring a potion?" 

Gods, he hated it when she was right. And she was very right. Unable to think of anything to say, he simply sat there. 

"Thank you, David," she said for him. "I know it's not ideal."

"Since when have anything in this town been ideal?" Rumplestiltskin growled just a little under his breath. 

"It's what we have," Belle said simply. After that it was just a matter of sorting the schedule. Belle refused to allow him anywhere near the cellar until he had gotten at least a few hours of sleep. Regardless of everyone's impatience, there was no room for error and she was determined that they have the best shot. David agreed to head over to the convent on his way to his office, and they both agreed that any news they had would be sent to Belle. "I'll not have him woken up after I've finally got him to sleep," she said fiercely. For his part, Rumplestiltskin seemed remarkably placid, or perhaps he just realised he'd lost the battle, and was saving his energy. No one else wanted to argue with her either, so they said their goodbyes. 

"Wow, never thought I would see that," Emma said to her father, once they were away from the door. 

"What?" he asked.

"Rumplestiltskin being...."

"Managed?" Charming asked. "Not surprising at all. That's true love for you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The usual thanks to my readers and my beta, Lauren for getting this done. It ended up longer than I wanted, but what can you do? Please read, review etc.


	9. Interview with a Pirate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Belle introduces her step son to the modern supermarket, and Killian Jones starts a fight he can't win.

The rest of the day passed in a bit of a blur. Rumplestiltskin returned to bed at his lady's insistence. It took a promise of waking him up in exactly four hours to do it, but she figured that four hours was better than nothing. David and Emma had left, with Emma promising to call as soon as she could clear her schedule for all but the important things at the station. After tucking him up in the bed and shooing the boys out to play in the back garden, Belle settled down to make plans. Despite the big breakfast, the boys were going to be hungry by the time she woke Rumplestiltskin, and she needed to make a big lunch. Magic took it out of her love, and while left to his own devices he would probably forget to eat; expending a lot of magic tended to make him ravenous in this world in a way that it rarely had in the old one. He'd eaten as much as his son had this morning, and she made a note that groceries were going to have to be on her priority list if they were going to have essentially continuous magic for the next three days. 

After a couple phone calls, she rounded up Henry and Bae. She knew that they were both perfectly capable of taking care of themselves and each other; but she didn't want them waking up Rumplestiltskin. Besides, Bae seemed a little uncomfortable about the lack of chores. Groceries were much easier with someone to carry them as well. She didn't mind but was pretty sure that when her fiancé woke up, he might have something to say about her carrying that much. He thought lifting the large dictionary at work was too much. 

Taking Bae to the grocery store turned into an interesting expedition. Of course in his current condition, he'd never seen a grocery store, his only experience with shopping being the market in the next village over from where he'd grown up. The sheer amount of food (for a boy who until his father's change and been perpetually underfed) was enough to almost sent him into shock. "Where does it all come from?" he asked, seeing the piles of fruit and vegetables in their bins at the entrance to the store. Belle tried to explain it to him, of course, but she had only a rudimentary idea about modern farming. Just that they were able to farm a lot more because of equipment that made up for having a large family. Fortunately Mr. Guilliani, who ran the market was willing to help out. Like everyone else in town, he knew who Bae was, and he was genuinely a nice man. They spent over an hour in the store picking out food, with Belle adding a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables and Henry trying to talk her into every snack and treat possible.

"He should get to try them," the boy said with a guileless smile that she didn't believe. But she indulged them just a little anyway. After all, a chocolate bar more or less wasn't going to hurt them. Just the process of choosing one took some minutes and Belle started to despair of getting home in time to wake Rumplestiltskin up. Finally they managed to get everything paid for, bagged and started back towards the house. Each of them carried bags though Belle was quick to notice that Bae took the heavy bags from her. 

"So where do all the cows come from?" he asked, as confused by the choice of meats as the amounts in the store. She had let him chose, as best as she could allow taking into account her pregnancy, with help from Henry ("No, trust me, you really don't want that one"), and she was busy planning dinner for them when the man approached. Belle was a little surprised that he had the nerve, actually. Killian Jones looked like a pirate, probably because he was. Dressed in black, as usual, he tried to slouch casually towards them, which would have been more convincing if he didn't generally avoid her in any and all situations. He and Rumplestiltskin had generally stopped trying to kill each other on any and all occasions which they met, but Belle had never forgiven him for a laundry list of crimes that he had committed in her eyes against them. 

"Henry, you and Bae walk ahead," she said when she realised he was approaching her to talk. One thing she most certainly didn't want was him anywhere near either of them. Killian Jones claimed to be reformed, but it would take a lot for her to believe it and she generally believed the best of everyone. Bae looked reluctant, but Henry knew quite well that Belle was able to handle herself. Still, they didn't move off very far. 

"Miss Belle," the pirate said politely. He reached out for her hand, possibly to kiss it, but she jerked back as if he'd offered her a dead animal or possibly some transmittable disease. He tried to act as if her mood didn't faze him though. "I heard about the...difficulty," he said, looking at Bae as though he wasn't sure he believed it. "I wanted to offer my..."

"You came to see if there was a way you could exploit the situation," Belle said coldly to him before he could finish. "I'm surprised that you haven't tried to waylay Emma already. Make no mistake, I know exactly what you are. You take advantage; you care for no one, and nothing, but your own pleasure. The only reason you decided to approach me was that you didn't have another choice. Well, that and you thought I might have some sympathy for you." Her tone was dismissive at best. Belle didn't realise it until she saw him, but she had waiting a long time to tell Killian Jones exactly what she thought of him and she wasn't about to spare him her hormone fueled rage. She knew the whole story; Rumplestiltskin had told her on a quiet night as they lay in bed. He had not known what to expect but her utter compassion for him and the contempt she felt for Killian Jones and the wife that had treated him so poorly surprised him. Belle could admit, in her heart of hearts, that as much as she disapproved of what he had done when he killed the woman, she had more than provoked him. But her strongest contempt and anger was for the pirate. She knew firsthand how willing he was to use women for his own ends. "Let me disabuse you of that notion. I think you are a contemptible human being. On the best of days you are an arrogant opportunist. In fact, I've waited some time to tell you exactly what I thought of you," she said taking a deep breath and glancing at the boys. Bae kept looking back but Henry was dragging him away down the street with urgent tugs and whispers.

"Have I not already apologised for attempting to kill you? Surely you must understand; he killed the woman I loved?" He was hoping to appeal to her softer side. He wasn't expecting what he got.

"The woman you loved? If anything I have more contempt for her, and you. Of course, you never thought about anything but being a big man, the kind of man who attacks an unarmed man, challenges him to a fight that you know he can't win. Oh yes, the big hero, to attack a man and make him crawl, when his other choice is to leave his son with no one? Certainly he couldn't trust his son's fate to the woman that wouldn't even care for him. The woman you loved, the one who left her child to starve, left her husband to all of his work and hers as well so she could spend his few coins in the tavern with the likes of you?"

The pirate stood dumbfounded. It was if he'd been slapped. Actually it was worse; he'd been slapped plenty. But he had never been called to account for his actions. She was right; he had never thought more than a moment about what he had done. He'd thought only about impressing Milah, proving himself to a room of people as the pirate he was. He'd never cast even the slightest thought to the young son, or the husband she despised. "He was a coward," he said finally, looking for some justification. "He would never..." Belle stepped forward and this time he thought she might actually slap him. Honestly, it might make him feel better than her blanket condemnation. At the very least he knew there was no chance of Rumplestiltskin being anywhere near, or he'd never have approached, and now he was wishing he hadn't. Upsetting his pregnant lady would be more than enough to overturn their truce. Of course he wasn't sure exactly how the imp would take his interest in his grandson's mother, but that was a thought for later when this virago wasn't standing before him with fire in her eyes. 

"Is that what Milah told you?" she asked, making his love's name a curse, something that made him want to strike back. "How much courage does it take to break your own bones to make sure that your son will have a father?"

"She said he ran from the fighting," he said backing up slightly without even realising it. He wasn't a generally introspective man, nor was he a good one, but this small woman was busy picking apart everything he had ever believed he knew about himself, about Milah, and about Rumplestiltskin. Killian remembered how Milah had always been so very careful about contraceptive potions, telling him that they weren't ready for a child, or that one aboard a ship would be a bad idea. She sometimes talked about going back for her son, but rarely and it was always in very general terms. If he was honest, he'd not thought at all about the son or husband she left behind. She was magnificent, and she deserved better than the life she had, didn't she? "I never thought..." he said softly. 

"That's exactly it; you never thought, just as you aren't thinking now. You took his wife away from her son, now you would like to take his grandson's mother from his son? Do you honestly think that Emma would welcome you while Bae is like this?" she asked. Her eyes were flashing, her face flushed with her anger, and for the first time Killian was struck by exactly how magnificent and how beautiful she was, followed by exactly how dangerous that thought was. There was only one man for her, and looking at her even slightly appreciatively with her fiancé around, or anyone that would tell him, could result in him ending up something small and slimy. 

"I..." he started, trying to find the right way to apologise and retreat from this encounter that was not going at all the way he ever expect it to. In fact, a bottle of rum back on his ship was seeming like the best answer to everything. 

"Is there a problem here?" came the sound of Mr. Guiliani coming out of the grocery store. "Away with you, pirate," he said flapping his apron at him. "Don't want your kind here."

"It's fine, Mr. Guiliani," Belle said with something that was almost a smile. "Emma is fine, and the situation will be resolved soon. I will give her your best. I believe that we are finished here." With a regal nod at Jones and a friendly smile at the grocer, she turned down the street. 

Up the street, Henry was practically dragging Bae along with him. "I don't trust that man," Bae said, trying to slow down and keep an eye on Belle. After all, with his father not here, it was his responsibility to look after his new mother and the baby. 

"Of course you don't; he's a pirate," Henry told him. "He's not trustworthy, but he wouldn't try anything with Belle; he's too smart for that." Bae looked at him and nodded. Yes, his father would do something about it, and as he looked at the other man, he wouldn't even object if he turned him into a snail. "He's interested in my mother."

"Which one?" the older boy asked, having had the whole situation explained to him. 

"Emma. He's probably..." Henry paused not exactly sure what to say about that.

"Of course he is. Emma's really pretty."

"Yeah, I guess. I don't really notice, with being my mom and all," he said dismissively, wondering how much to say. 

"I figured it out, you know," Bae said. "I know that I'm your papa; thought I don't exactly know how that happened. It's this magic, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but how did you know?" he said, incredulously.

"When I first came, you called Papa 'grandpa'. Since Emma isn't Papa's daughter, and he would have told me if there were any other children, that makes me your papa. That means that Emma and I...well, I guess it's good that I think she's pretty, yeah? But can we forget about all that? It's really confusing and makes my head hurt; I just wanted to let you know that I know so you don't have to avoid it." Henry nodded. He was completely on board with that plan. Things were weird enough without help. Bae was still looking back at Belle though; she had one finger pointed at the pirate and looked like she was really giving him a piece of her mind. He actually backed up a couple of steps. "My mama ran off with a pirate," he said quietly. "Papa thinks I don't know, but I do. One of the other boys' fathers told him, and he told me. I don't trust pirates."

Henry was debating telling his father that Killian Jones was the pirate his mother had run off with, but suddenly Mr. Guiliani was out of the shop, waving his apron at the man. Belle turned and started to walk towards them. Of course they watched until she caught up with them. Even then, Bae continued to look back until the pirate turned a corner going the other way, just to be sure. "I think perhaps we should avoid telling your father about this," Belle said to them as they made their way home. "Agreed?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Bae said. Henry nodded his firm agreement. Both of them were pretty sure that this was not something to distract Rumplestiltskin with right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit, I am home in bed with a snow storm and a sinus infection, so the writing is a little slow. Thanks as always to all the readers who have commented, kudos, and read it. Also thanks to my beta, Lauren, for the help. Please enjoy.


	10. Bubble Bubble

Back home, Belle started putting away groceries with the boys' assistance when her lover appeared, looking moderately well rested. He had dress trousers and a dress shirt as usual but had forgone the tie and jacket; not surprising since the rest of the day would be spent in his cellar laboratory. She also noted that it was the black and white checked shirt he was wearing that she had never been fond of, finding it a little out of step with his usually impeccable dress sense. If he spilt something or burned a hole in it, she certainly wouldn't mind. It was the last really clear thought she had before there was a knock on the back door, and the house was once more invaded. 

Regina was the first, bringing with her some ingredients that were needed to complete the potion. She was followed in short order by Emma, not exactly eager for a magic lesson, but willing to do what was necessary to help get Bae back. She had just put lunch on the table when there was a ring at the front bell. 

"I'll get that," she told them, as she was still standing up.

"Belle, you should sit and eat," Rumplestiltskin said, reaching for his cane. "You are..."

"Don't finish that sentence," she warned him as she wiped her hands on her apron and went to the front door, wondering who exactly wouldn't come round to the kitchen. If she could have gotten any more surprised today, she would have. The Mother Superior, the Blue Fairy herself, stood at their door, looking out of place and shifting uncomfortably. She looked pleased and relieved when Belle opened the door. 

"I... Prince...David called me; he filled me in on the situation, and I...Sorry, this is a rather unusual situation." Belle wasn't certain exactly what to do and knew that Rumplestiltskin still wasn't fond of the fairies in general, and their leader in specific. But needs must, as the saying went. 

"Please come in; I will get Rumplestiltskin," she said. Belle left the woman in the front room, a more formal room that they rarely used. She knew that it wasn't a comfortable room, but she wasn't going to have the woman in the more informal rooms of the house yet and it was too cold to leave her on the porch. Instead she went through to the kitchen. "The Blue Fairy is here to see you," she said quietly. Instantaneously the mood of the room changed, tension ratcheting up. 

"I'll speak to her," Rumplestiltskin said slowly, putting down the half of a sandwich he had been carefully lifting to his mouth. 

"I can go with you," Regina volunteered, but he waved aside all offers of help. Instead he rose carefully to his feet leaning on his cane. Belle stroked his arm as he passed her, and he stopped long enough to press a kiss to her cheek. 

"Keep your temper, love," she whispered in his ear. "Think of Bae." He nodded but his face was set in an expression she knew well, closed off. 

Once he had closed the door behind him, conversation resumed, though it was stilted. "Can I go look?" Bae asked. "I've never seen a fairy before."

"Perhaps later," Belle told him.

"They just look like regular ladies here," Henry told him. "Not at all like in my book. I'll show you after lunch, if that's ok; it's in my backpack."

"That sounds like..." Belle started to say.

"I don't...I don't really read all that well," Bae said quietly cutting her off. "Papa can, well, he could some; I'm sure he's better now. He was teaching me but there wasn't a lot of time before..." No one had an answer for that, and everyone sunk into silence for a moment. 

"It's ok; I can help you," Henry said finally, as if there was nothing unusual in his father's statement. Of course in the Enchanted Forest, a lot of people were not literate, especially not among the class to which Bae belonged. Food and shelter were much more of a priority. But here it was pretty odd. "Besides, it has a lot of really cool pictures." 

"Okay, Bae agreed. The room went quiet, and they all listened, though they were pretending they weren't. Finally they heard the sound of the front door closing, and the steady thump of the cane as Rumplestiltskin made his way back into the room. When the door opened, everyone was looking expectantly at it. He came in and returned to his seat at the table. 

It was Emma who broke the silence. "Well?" she asked. 

"They will help," he said simply. "She is going to send a couple of fairies over later to get a feel for the magic, see who can help. Of course, we both thought it best if she wasn't one of them." There were nods all around, and everyone returned to lunch. After a few minutes, Bae started asking how the stove worked, and things livened up a good bit, especially after he asked his father if he could take it apart. 

The only other surprise in a relatively quiet afternoon was in the form of another visitor. Belle was a little surprised when the front bell rang. After all, the fairies weren't due yet, and most everyone who would be expected came to the back door or were already in the cellar. So it was with surprise and some pleasure when she opened the door to see Leroy, the dwarf rapidly on his way back to becoming Dreamy, standing awkwardly on the doorstep, his cap in his hand. 

"Ah, hey Belle," he said with a shy smile. 

"Leroy, come in; where is Astrid?" she asked politely about his lady love and former fairy. 

"No, I'd best not, my boots are filthy. Astrid's fine. She asked about you. Thanks for the invitation; it was really nice of you and him."

"Not at all, you are friends. I wouldn't think of not having you. But won't you come in. I can make tea?"

"No, I just came... listen, we heard what happened, and I was just wondering, seeing as how you have all these things to do, I thought maybe the boys would like to come down to the docks with me tomorrow afternoon, help me with the boat?" He asked.

"That would be lovely, Leroy, I'll ask them. Thank you so much."

"It's the least I can do, Belle. If it weren't for you and him," he said nodding toward the house though studiously avoiding her lover's name. "Me and Astrid, well, we wouldn't be getting our second chance without you. Besides, I'm sure you've got more than enough to do with the wedding, and the...you know..." he nodded towards her belly though she still wasn't showing. She devoutly hoped she wouldn't, either, at least not for another two weeks. She was proud and happy to be having a baby, her True Love's Baby, but that didn't mean she wanted to look pregnant at her wedding. 

"I do." She agreed. "Thank you, I'll call if the boys want to go." After a few pleasantries, he took his leave after promising to be waiting for her call. It was enough to remind her that no matter what she wanted, she still had things she needed to tend to. The last fitting on her wedding dress was due to happen tomorrow morning, and then there was the library. She got on the telephone, once again grateful for modern conveniences that made it much easier than running down there herself or having to send a messenger. So many things to do, so little time. 

By evening, the potion had been set to brew; two fairies had joined them, (introduced as Sisters Castulla and Rana, explaining that it was better than going by their colours) and had, after some kind of conference with Rumplestiltskin, disappeared with the rest in the cellar. Things were pretty quiet down there as far as she could tell. Well, there was a minor explosion, followed by Emma running upstairs to tell them that nothing was wrong; apparently it was supposed to do that. For her part she was starting to think that the tower had been much safer than a cellar for magic, being less likely to take the house with it if something went wrong.

Belle had cooked some dinner and eaten it in the company of the boys and a revolving cast from below the stairs, each of them taking a little time to sit and eat, even Rumplestiltskin. Her love was reluctant to leave the work, but he was also anxious to spend time with his son. Besides, he was even more reluctant to leave the fairies alone with his son or his lover for that matter. Afterwards, he even helped Belle clear up and make up the bed in the spare room. "I wish we didn't have to have them here," he told her. "I know you don't need the extra work. Perhaps Mrs. Potts could come in?"

"At least we hadn't started on the nursery yet," Belle told him, enjoying the time with him, even if it was over something as mundane as making a bed. 

"True, but you need your rest. Call Mrs. Potts tomorrow, and get her to come help you. You have so many things going, you don't need to be cooking and clearing up after everyone. I don't want you overtaxing yourself, you need your strength."

"As do you," she told him. "I expect you in bed for at least part of the night."

"You are my strength," he said grandly, but didn't deny her. He was never very good at denying her anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks as usual to my beta, Lauren. I am afraid this story has run longer than I intended when I started but the end is coming soon. Please, you know what to do.


	11. All around the house.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Belle holds down the fort, while trying to get ready for her wedding.

True to his word, Belle woke when Rumplestiltskin came to bed. She didn't look at the time, (she didn't honestly care) instead she settled herself back into sleep in his arms. Whatever time she had over the next three days, she was determined to take it. When she woke, he was still there and still asleep. Since he wasn't one to sleep longer than he had to, she was more than willing to leave him there. But she knew from experience that the boys wouldn't sleep in and that there were things that needed to be done today. Checking the clock on the bedside table, she carefully tried to shift herself from the bed without waking her sleeping lover. Rumplestiltskin must have been tired, as he only shifted a little in his sleep, pulling her pillow into his arms before settling back down. 

Belle wrapped a robe around her, moving carefully around the room. So far everything seemed quiet, even her stomach. In fact, she realised that she had gone three entire days without the not particularly aptly named 'morning sickness'. In her case it had not been particularly limited to mornings, but if things were quiet, she would just say a quiet thanks and get on with it. She peered into the spare bedroom quickly, finding that Regina was asleep in the bed, actually looking vulnerable and younger than she usually did. Quickly, she closed the door and moved on. The door to the boys' room stood open, and she noted that neither one of them were there. Slightly alarmed, she made her way down the stairs just as the sound and smell of frying bacon began to waft up. 

She made it into the kitchen in time to find Henry and Bae fixing breakfast. Intellectually she knew both boys were old enough to be cooking but that didn't make her any less alarmed. That there was a fairy in the kitchen supervising only helped a little, honestly. While she didn't have her lover's distrust, she was still wasn't sure about their motives. The Blue Fairy had been helpful this time, but it was almost always Rumplestiltskin who ended up taking the brunt of the town's magical mishaps. 

Three days of this, three days of waiting and worrying and living with a constant stream of people coming and going from a home that generally had only the two occupants and the odd guest. Belle wasn't sure how either of them would handle it, honestly. The holidays had brought more company that either of them had been used to and much more socialising. Not that Belle wasn't social, but she, like Rumplestiltskin was content to have their home as a sanctuary, a place for the two of them, at least until the baby came. She figured by the time that their little girl was old enough to want to visit and be visited, they would both be ready for it. This they had not planned for. 

Rumplestiltskin came down to join them, with a plan to take the boys out after breakfast, determined to spend time with his son while he could. The boys had agreed quickly to the plan of spending an afternoon with Leroy on the boat, and though Rumplestiltskin had to be reassured. Having grown up in a little landlocked village, he had always had a certain distrust of boats and his travels with Hook hadn't helped all that much. But by afternoon it would be his turn to return to the cellar, not that it stopped him from going down before breakfast to see how things were going. He seemed pleased when he returned to eat the breakfast the boys had prepared, bacon and eggs, and toast that was only slightly burned around the edges. 

Regina had also joined them soon enough, it being her turn to take over from Emma down below. She looked rested and less...formal than usual. Yet another side effect of her change there was less need to put up a facade all the time. Not that she didn't keep her distance; she did, or she tried, sort of. But Snow and Charming took family very seriously, whether it be Henry's other grandfather, sorcerer and self proclaimed resident monster, or the stepmother and adopted mother who didn't know how to be a family, they did their best to include everyone. 

It was something that Rumplestiltskin, Regina, and even Emma had difficulties with. None of them had much experience of normal, loving families. But they were trying, and if Rumplestiltskin retreated to Belle and his pink house, Regina to her stables, or Emma to her office, well it was to be expected. They were coping, and things were getting better.

Bae and Henry served them out breakfast at the table, Henry giving his other mother a hug before continuing. Bae still viewed Regina with wariness though, for which no one could blame him. Instead they enjoyed breakfast, a much more boisterous affair than usual for the house. Neither Belle nor Rumplestiltskin were particularly morning people, and Belle's morning-noon and night sickness had done serious damage to their schedule. 

As soon as breakfast was finished and cleaned up, Rumplestiltskin urged the boys into their outdoor clothes and took them off. He had forgone his suit for the day, settling for his dress trousers and shirt, but with a sweater. Adding his short coat and a scarf that Belle had knit him while he was away, he left the house with the two of them. "I'm just going to take them out from under your feet; you have too much to do, love. I'll bring them back after lunch," he told her with a kiss. Belle just nodded; as much as she would love to spend time with the two of them, get to know the son that her love had lost, there was a lot to do, and her energy wasn't what it had been. 

But having them out of the house didn't mean things had settled down. Shortly before they left, Regina had gone downstairs, freeing Emma to come up. The Sheriff was looking a little tired, so Belle had made sure she was well fed before sending her upstairs to get a shower and some rest. Sitting at the kitchen table, she started to review the list of things she had to get done today. There were just so many things that needed to be done. 

Sometimes the joys and pains of living in a small town are the same thing, Belle reflected after the third time the bell had rung. Yesterday they had been mostly left alone, probably everyone giving them time to assess the situation. That was yesterday. Today, and presumably after word from the prince that a solution was in the works even as they spoke, the town had decided to help in their own way. Dove, who worked for Rumplestiltskin since...well no one was actually sure, (he was a man of few words) came by to tell her that he had posted a sign on the shop door saying 'closed for family emergency'. That should take care of the tourists at least. He had also said he would tend to the repairs that he could and handle the rounds of rent collections. While he had used to enjoy them well enough himself, Rumplestiltskin had been a little less inclined to do it himself anymore; after all, he no longer needed to remind people of his power. 

Next to arrive was Mrs. Potts, the older woman who had been cleaning for Mr. Gold during the curse and continued afterward. She had been the housekeeper to King George and his queen and knew everyone (and probably where all the bodies were buried) and she took absolutely no guff from anyone, for all that she was a happy motherly soul. She came right in the back door, hung up her coat without waiting, and set about getting her cleaning things together, only pausing long enough to chide Belle lightly for not calling her. 

"I was just getting ready..." Belle tried to tell her, but the older woman brushed her aside. 

"You should have arranged this beforehand. It's not just the boy; you have wedding plans, and the baby to get ready for, and if you think that something like his son being turned back into a child is going to be allowed to interfere with Rumplestiltskin's wedding, you should know better. Now, you sit down here and have a cup of tea and deal with those other things. I'll see to the house and keep that lot downstairs taken care of." Belle knew that there was no point in arguing with her; first, she would have to get a word in edgeways which wasn't like to happen any time soon. Instead she just nodded and started to move into Rumplestiltskin's office. It was a good place to work, and she used it when she didn't want to move to the office he had set up for her in the library at the top of the house. But before she got far, the doorbell rang. 

First it was Astrid, bringing them a batch of cookies she had whipped up. She might be the clumsiest fairy in the history of the Enchanted Forest, but she had a way with cookies. After a few moments of chatting, she secured a promise from Belle that if she needed a hand with anything (wedding, baby or boys, the former fairy was through) that she would call. Belle agreed and closed the door to take the cookies into the kitchen. The container was huge and it looked like Astrid had been experimenting again. Unlike Belle's cooking experiments, Astrid's baking seemed to always turn out well. They were encouraging her to open her own bakery in town. Belle took a cookie to go with her tea and turned the rest over to Mrs. Potts, who promised to take some down below. 

"That magic does take the energy," the older woman said, looking at the cookies approvingly, before shooing Belle off again. This time she had got all the way to the office and was starting to sit down when the bell rang. In the front hall, she met Mrs. Potts, heading for the door as well. "Now you get on and leave this bit to me," the woman said. "It's what I'm here for," she said, before sending her off. This time Belle listened, and retreated to the office to make phone calls and handle a few last minute things. Mrs. Towner, the seamstress, was coming over to do the final fitting on her gown before lunch. She hoped that Rumplestiltskin would keep the boys out until afterwards, since they had agreed to do the fitting here and no matter what world, the making of a new wedding dress was to be kept from the groom against bad luck. 

By the time she emerged and made it to the kitchen, the counter had taken on the look of a buffet or possibly a funeral. Eve, the woman who had been seeing her father, was there making a list of dishes and who brought them so that plates could be returned, and thank you notes written. Belle was overwhelmed. After all, Rumplestiltskin had never been popular, and she said something to that effect.

"Not popular, per se," Eve said to her. "But people have a lot of respect for him. Oh, most of them will never want to have him to dinner, but they know what he has done for this town, and of course, they love you, dear." Belle was trying to process this, and keep the tears from her eyes (she cried at everything these days; she thought it must be the pregnancy) as she looked at the food. There were two pies from Granny Lucas, chocolate creme and lemon, easily recognisable from the diner. Eve had brought them a casserole of some sort; she didn't actually ask. There were at least two other casserole dishes from other people in town, and a large bowl of salad from Mary-Margaret, who knew she was trying to reform their eating habits. Another plate of cookies from Dr. Hopper made her smile. He was a sweet man, and that was probably the extent of his cooking talent. 

While she was standing there, another knock came at the back door. Old Mrs. Hubbard had sent a platter of chicken, brought by Henry's friend Gretel (Mrs. Hubbard didn't get out much at her age). That was a surprise to Eve and Mrs. Potts; of course, they didn't know that Rumplestiltskin brewed a potion for her that kept her arthritis somewhat at bay without the drugs that modern medicine and Dr Whale kept trying to give her. Gretel herself had brought a jello mould. She was a good girl and trying very hard to be the lady of the house for her father and younger brother. 

"Can Henry and Bae come play?" she asked after setting down the food down. 

"They are out with Rumplestiltskin, but perhaps tomorrow?" Belle said, uncertain about what to do with all this support. Gretel agreed readily though, said to have Henry call her, and headed off. She had been spending the holiday answering the phone at her father's auto body shop, she explained, and was even getting paid for it. Belle was about to go back to the office to finish a few things before Mrs. Towner arrived (and to get away from the bustle that was her own kitchen, which was getting a little overwhelming) when her father arrived. Her father's presence was a little startling, but they had been doing much better recently. He had even come to their Christmas Eve party and talked to Rumplestiltskin about old world politics without anyone screaming at anyone. Belle was starting to think that the two of them might actually not kill each other, but to see him here in the middle of a crisis was more than she expected. "Papa?" she said, as he gave her a hug. 

"Hey sweetheart. I thought you might like some flowers. I understand things are a bit hectic around here." She accepted the hug and the flowers, roses,of course. "I was wondering if I could help. I have a lot of deliveries tomorrow, and I've got the flowers for the town New Year's celebration to get set up. You think that Baelfire would be interested in lending a hand? Henry too, of course; I gather that the two of them are thick as thieves." Thus far, her father had shown no interest in getting to know his soon to be...step grandson, she supposed, or his son, but perhaps this was his attempt. She was pretty sure that Charming had been encouraging him, and at least Henry was young enough to actually be his great grandson. 

"I'll ask, Papa. I'm certain that they would be interested. Bae is not accustomed to not having chores. He and Henry made us breakfast this morning." Belle was starting to wonder if all this was going to work out after all. Seeing the town pull together made her happier than she would ever admit.

Belle managed to finish things in time for the seamstress to arrive and she went upstairs to try the gown on, remembering once again that they really should put a second bathroom on at some point. The fitting was done in the living room though, with Belle stood on the low coffee table before the fireplace. There just wasn't a place in their bedroom for it. Mrs. Towner also wasn't getting any younger, and Emma was sleeping off the night's magic in the other bedroom. She would have preferred to do this without an audience, but that was never going to happen. Eve hadn't left yet, and Mrs. Potts took a pause to watch the proceedings. The fairies were just switching off helping in the cellar, so there was nothing for it but to do a little twirl, carefully as she was wearing the shoes she planned to wear on the day, low heels that would lower her chances of falling over herself. It was just as Mrs. Towner was knelt with a mouthful of pins that they heard the kitchen door open. There was no knock, and that said to Belle pretty definitely who had arrived. Mrs. Potts bustled through the door to head off the arrival of the groom, while Belle was most specifically ordered to stand exactly where she was. How the woman could speak so clearly around a mouthful of pins was beyond her. 

There was a knock, and after a peek out, the door was opened just a bit, to admit Bae. "I wanted to see your dress," he said. "Papa says if everything works out right, I won't be here for the wedding, so I thought..." the boy said a little shyly, looking down so his hair fell into his eyes. Belle wanted more than anything to reach out and push the hair out of his face. 

"Come in then, and quickly," the seamstress said. "Can't have the groom seeing her like this," the woman muttered as she pushed her glasses back up on her nose and moved to look at the back of the gown. Bae was admitted quickly, the door closed and locked behind him. Not that anyone thought that would stop Rumplestiltskin if he was determined; it was more of a reminder. 

"You look amazing," Bae said honestly. "I wish I could..." he started; but there was something that he just couldn't stay. 

"I'll be back, Belle; need to get something," Mrs. Towner said suddenly, pulling the pins out of her mouth. "You stay right there, mind," she said. Eve nodded and with a comment about needing to get home herself, she followed the woman out, closing the door sharply behind her. 

"Come here, Bae," Belle said. She was still standing in her wedding gown on top of the coffee table, and there was nothing she could do about that, but she wanted the boy closer. 

"It's not that I don't want to go back to normal; I do. I want to go back home to Papa, and to my life. I don't think I am ready for all of this...whatever it is. But a part of me wishes that I could be here to see the two of you get married, to see my little sister get born," he said a little sadly. "Papa was so happy, today. He even bought me something, but he said I am not to tell you until you are finished; it's a surprise." Bae was brightening a little, and Belle leaned down to kiss the top of his head affectionately. After all, it was the only time in her life when she would ever be looking down on Bae. He was even taller than his father. 

"You will be here to see the wedding, just...not as you are. Maybe, if you remember," she said, not exactly sure what she was thinking, but the boy seemed to understand. 

"I'll try; I want to think of my Papa as happy, really. Belle, can I call you 'Mama'? Just for a while?" he asked with big pleading eyes. His father might comment that his son got his good looks from his mother, but it was there in the eyes that she could see him, in those expressive eyes that she had fallen in love with and never really been able to resist. 

"Of course you can, Bae," she said, tears welling up, but she pushed them back ruthlessly, wishing that she could kiss the boy, but settled for a rather awkward and very careful hug to avoid the pins stuck in the dress. There was another knock at the door, and Bae ran to get it, the brave knight to protect the lady from the bad luck of his father coming in. But it wasn't the sorcerer; it was Henry. 

"Hey Bae, let me peek and then lets get back; Grandpa is in the back yard with the..." he stopped, leaned into his father and whispered something that made Belle wonder exactly what her love was up to with the boys. Slipping in, Henry looked at her. "You look fabulous, Belle; it's going to be great. Now, let's get going. Don't worry, we'll keep him busy until you're done." Before she could even comment, the boys were gone, and the seamstress was back to poke more pins in her. So much for her restful day, and now she had to worry about what exactly Rumplestiltskin was up to in the back garden with the boys. She sincerely hoped that whatever it was, it didn't explode.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, but getting any thing done has been fraught with technical difficulties. So the question for you all is, what do you think Rumplestiltskin is keeping in the back garden and is Belle going to kill them all when she finds out? As always thanks to my beta Lauren. Please enjoy, review, etc.


	12. Solutions

"Gold, what the hell were you thinking? How could you?" Emma was screaming at him from the kitchen loud enough to be heard probably as far as Main Street. Fortunately both the son in question and his currently teenaged father were down at the docks with Leroy and his sail boat. Well, Belle had been half right; something had exploded, just not the actual gift, which was right now curled up on the hearth rug before the fire chewing on something that she more or less hoped he was supposed to be chewing on. She didn't actually have the energy to make sure; he'd fix it or replace it when he was finished with Emma. Or when she was finished with him. Rumplestiltskin looked at her with a bland expression, but Belle knew that he was barely hiding a wicked smirk. "How could you buy my son a dog without talking to me first?"

"I have been informed that no one buys a dog anymore; rather they 'adopt' one. As the last time I had a dog, I traded a half skein of woolen yarn for it...little runt of a thing actually... I will take their word for it. But, you are wrong. I didn't adopt your son a dog, I adopted my son a dog."

"Which has the net effect of buying Henry a dog, since I assume that you aren't keeping it for him after he goes back to normal? Not with the wedding and the baby, I'll bet. "

"It wouldn't be fair to either of them; they've gotten so attached," he said, this time unable to resist a bit of a smile.

"Yeah, you know, I'm pretty sure that my lease has a no pets clause, but I imagine you can do something about that, can't you?" 

"In fact, I will have the relevant paperwork taken care of before he comes home," he said with a wicked look that reminded Belle so much of the imp he'd been. "But I am hardly the only one involved in this scheme as you called it. Your father was the one who suggested I take the boys to visit the animal shelter," Rumplestiltskin said, glad to share some of the blame. Belle noticed that Emma had no response for that. 

Belle decided that she could miss the rest of this conversation, since she was pretty certain she was unnecessary, and they didn't seem to be trying to kill one another at the moment. Despite feeling like she had not done that much, she was tired. The boys were off, but had agreed to help her father tomorrow. Rumplestiltskin had only reluctantly given approval of the plan, but he was still learning to trust her father. Bae, she knew, was feeling a bit useless, and Henry said he could always use a little more pocket money, especially since they had Arrow to worry about (the little scruffy mix of some kind of sheep dog and who knew what else had been duly named after a funny dark patch on his head that was shaped like an arrowhead). There was enough food in the house to feed a small army through the next couple of days, which was a good thing considering how much food two growing boys, three magic using adults and a pregnant woman could actually go through. Now that the morning sickness was gone, (at least she hoped so), her appetite was back, though Rumplestiltskin still didn't think she was eating enough. Rather than worry about anything else, she went into the kitchen, kissed her love (right in the middle of his retort), and told them both that she was heading upstairs for a rest. 

After assuring Emma that he would be more than willing to discuss this with her later, he had followed to tuck his love in before he had to return to the cellar. Emma was more than willing to let him as well. She had come upon their more or less public displays of affection more than enough that she would gladly finish the discussion later if only it kept a closed door between her and the two of them making out like teenagers. He asked her to make sure that Regina knew he would be down to relieve her, and Emma agreed to do it before she left for a bit, needing to check on things down at the station. Not that she didn't trust her new deputy but Emma was always much better when she could see things first hand. The puppy, having been disturbed when Belle got up, decided to follow them upstairs. 

"That could be a bit of an issue, love," he said, looking down at the furry creature. 

"He's only coming with me because the boys are gone, and he's not allowed to explore the cellar where all the other people and interesting smells are," she said as she sank down into their comfortable bed. Rumplestiltskin eased her back further on the bed, and carefully removed her shoes for her. Not that she was at the unable to do it herself at this stage, but she let him because it felt good to be close to him. As busy as they were now and going to be for the next few days, she would take whatever she could get. 

"Belle, I hope you don't mind about the..." he started to say as the puppy took the opportunity to lick her bare feet. Rumplestiltskin looked at her, begging her to understand. He wanted so much to spoil his son while he had him, to be the father he had been unable to be while he was still learning to control the power of the Dark One rather than being controlled by it. They had talked about it, a lot. Once she had convinced him to open up to her, they had spent quite a few long evenings together talking. She had encouraged him back to his wheel; he seemed to find it easier to talk while he had something familiar to do with his hands. Then they had talked, her sitting beside him while he spun and talked. She talked too, but it was mostly to encourage him. 

She smiled at both of them. "No, I don't mind him, at least not for a few days. I might even not mind him as an occasional visitor. The only reason I would be against us keeping him for any longer is..." She looked pointedly down. It was true, Belle wouldn't mind have a dog; but right now, with wedding, baby, not to mention both of their jobs and the odd magical emergency, it was just the wrong time to take on something new. But she wanted him to know she wasn't against the idea. For now however, he helped her back onto the bed, tucked a blanket that had been folded at the foot of the bed around her, and kissed her before letting himself out. He tried to take the puppy with him, but Arrow had decided that the rug beside the bed made a perfectly good place for a nap. After a reassuring wave to get on, he left, though he left the door open a crack to allow the little creature a way out if it wanted or needed to. 

The next two days settled into a routine more or less, a sort of rhythm if you could make rhythm out of barely controlled chaos that happens more or less on schedule. Rumplestiltskin spent his mornings with his son and grandson after breakfast. He would say it was to keep them from being under her feet, but Belle knew he was enjoying actually getting to spend time with them. She wasn't sure exactly what they got up to, certainly nothing as dramatic as Arrow the puppy (who went with them on their adventures, having attached himself to the boys). In the afternoons Henry and Bae went out, while Belle attended to the things she was allowed to (anything that didn't involve lifting, carrying or climbing). The evenings were for her. Belle spent time with Bae, while Emma, after checking in at the station, spent a little time with her son. Regina joined them for dinner, but like Emma with the station, she went out to see that her horses were taken care of. Besides, Belle was fairly sure that Regina needed a little time away from all of them. She knew that she needed a little time to herself. 

Finally, it happened. With a final explosion (this time they warned her; actually Rumplestiltskin warned her, and sent her up to the library), the potion was complete. Belle came down the stairs just in time to see Rumplestiltskin being as gracious as he could, thanking the fairies even though she could see from the tightness in his face that he would rather be chewing nails. It was a considerable improvement in his relationship with the fairies. The potion, he said, needed to set and cure overnight.

"Thank you all for your help," he said, formally. He was doing what he did best, backing away. Having all the hustle and bustle had been hard on him, and he wanted peace again. 

"I'll bring over some clean clothes tomorrow," Emma said, kind of distractedly. It had been agreed that they would give him the potion the next morning, out in the back garden. But Rumplestiltskin  
had asked everyone to leave them alone tonight, and everyone seemed to understand. It was his last night with his son as he was at the moment, as he had been. Tomorrow, if all went well, Bae would go back to the way he had been only a few days ago; everything would go back to normal, or what passed for normal. But tonight was theirs. In a surprising gesture, Emma had even invited Regina to have dinner with her and Henry as they were leaving. Everyone seemed to be feeling the need to settle down at home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we are coming close to the end of this one. Thank you to all of you who have read and enjoyed. As always thanks to by beta, Lauren and all those who have left kudos and especially the commenters. THe muse loves comments. You know what to do.


	13. Four Strong Walls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet night before the transformation. Family time

When the door closed behind Emma, Regina and Henry (who had offered to take Arrow, but was roundly turned down; even Rumplestiltskin and Belle had gotten rather attached to the little fur ball), Belle heaved a sigh of relief. As much as she appreciated all the help, this last evening she wanted a little peace and quiet. Rumplestiltskin went upstairs to shower off, just to make sure he was safe, and Bae took Arrow out to play in the back garden, while Belle went to the kitchen. She had asked Bae what he wanted for dinner. As a young man not used to having a choice, he was almost speechless, before asking politely if they could try pizza, Henry having told him all about it. Belle agreed easily, (though she knew Rumplestiltskin wasn't fond of it, being difficult to eat without being slightly messy) and decided that she would also bake them a cake. The boy definitely had his father's sweet tooth, and she couldn't resist indulging them both just a little. 

She had just finished pouring the batter into the pans when Rumplestiltskin came down and joined her, his hair still damp from the shower. She loved seeing him like this, the way almost no one saw him. He'd put on a pair of 'chino's' (she wasn't sure why they were called that, but after conferring with Mary Margaret on casual clothes for her love, she was certain they were as close to blue jeans as she would ever get him). His shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, reminding her just a bit of those silk shirts he wore back in the old world, exposing his throat, tempting her as it always had. Belle reached up and stroked the side of his face gently. This was going to be hard on him, but then nothing about this had been less than difficult. She had made the executive decision that after fixing Bae tomorrow, they were both going to stay home, together. Rumplestiltskin was a man who didn't like to share his emotions. It was hard for him to open up even to her, after being alone for over three centuries, but sometimes he would. 

"What are you doing, love?" he asked as he pulled her into his arms. 

"Baking a cake for tonight," she said as she leaned back against him, allowing herself to enjoy the position for a moment before reluctantly pulling away. "I thought Bae would like it. I know his father will." Belle grinned as she scraped the last of the bowl, and offered the spatula to him. When it came to sweets, her love was a bit of a small boy himself. Bae came in the back door as she put the cakes in the oven, followed closely by the puppy. 

"Hey Mama, Papa," he said with a smile at them. Belle looked at Rumplestiltskin. The first time Bae had called her Mama, she thought the sorcerer would break down. He had told her when they first found out she was pregnant, that he wished that she had been Bae's mother. As much as he loved his son, there was always the reminder there of his first failed marriage, of the pain of her loss and the fact that she had never been the mother he wanted for his son. It had always eaten at him. These few days had been a bit of healing for them, she knew. With an indulgent smile, she gave Bae the mixing bowl to lick, while she found the menu to the best (well, the only) pizza place in town. Rumplestiltskin tried to hide his distaste at the idea while his son had most of his face inside the mixing bowl, Belle smiled at him. As far as she knew, that last time Rumplestiltskin had eaten pizza was when she first got her memory back and he was trying to expose her to this world. She had found it okay but not exceptional, and she knew that her love only ate it to make her happy. But it was Bae's last night, and despite everything, they would spoil the boy in every way they could. 

Rumplestiltskin took the car down to get the pizza, his son riding excitedly with him. The boy was still fascinated by motors of all types. The day before, he and Henry had spent the afternoon with Gretel at her father's auto shop, which he had enjoyed immensely, coming home covered with grease and full of ideas. He had even gotten some explanation of how they worked that was much better than either of them could manage. 

When they were finished with dinner (Bae had ordered, and Belle wasn't quite sure she knew what she was eating, and almost completely sure she didn't want to know), the three of them made their way into living room. "So Bae, what would you like to do on your last night, son?" Rumplestiltskin asked. They both expected to spend the evening watching some television show or other, or one of the videos that Henry had brought over. Honestly, if it wasn't for Henry they probably wouldn't have a telly at all; neither of them particularly watched it, preferring to read and listen to music. Some nights, Belle would curl up in the big chair in Rumplestiltskin's study and read aloud to him while he spun. He said he liked the sound of her voice, though she was fairly sure it was reassurance for all the time they had spent apart, being able to hear her voice. 

The boy thought about it carefully. In some ways, he was still a boy, but Belle could see the hints of the serious man he would become, so very like his father in some ways. "Could we..." he started cautiously, as though he expected them to say no. "Papa, can I spin with you?" he asked. His father was surprised by the request; actually Belle was as well. 

"Of course we can, Bae," Rumplestiltskin replied. "Are you certain that is what you want?"

 

"Yes, Papa; we haven't done that in a long time," Bae reminded him. Rumplestiltskin turned his head for just a moment, trying to hide the sadness. Before he had become the Dark One, it had been part of their every day routine, the evening spent teaching his son his craft, sitting at the wheel together. Once he changed though...well, he hadn't needed to spin wool, and his son couldn't spin gold. Besides, he didn't want his son to work as hard as he had before, when he could have anything and everything that he wanted. It never occurred to him how much that time meant to his son, or that as his power took over him, he was losing the one thing he had done it for. He hadn't realised it 'til he was gone. 

"Very well, an evening at the wheel. We will see what you have forgotten, eh lad?" he said with a bit of a smile, though they all knew the sadness behind it. 

"I haven't forgotten, Papa. But can I ask for one more thing?" His father waited, watching his son. The boy had surprised him, but then his son had always been a better person than he. He wondered where it came from, certainly not from him, nor from his mother; Milah hadn't a particularly loving bone in her body. "Can Be- Mama read to me from the fairy tale book Henry left?"

"I can. Is there a particular story you want to hear?" Belle asked with a smile. There were a lot of interesting stories; she wondered if Bae wanted to hear the version of his own life story, or something else. But once again, Bae surprised them. 

"Henry said there was a story in there about you, about how you met and you know...how you ended up here," he said uncertainly. 

"It's not terribly accurate," his father said with a look of comic distaste. 

"But you can fix that bit for me. I really want to know," he said, turning those big brown eyes so much like his father's on them both. Probably a good thing he wouldn't be around longer, Belle thought. There was no way Rumplestiltskin could resist spoiling him completely, not that she would be much better, she knew. She had fewer worries about their own child, the little one now growing. Oh, her father would spoil her, but without the weight of regret that he had with Bae, the grief and the guilt that weighted him down.

The evening passed pleasantly. Rather than read to them, Belle and Rumplestiltskin had ended up telling him the story of their meeting and the deal which had brought them together, interspersed with instructions to Bae as he sat before the wheel. Rumplestiltskin had even admitted to his throwing her out because he didn't believe she could love him. 

She was trying to find a good way to respond without mentioning the need to find his son. "He thought I was trying to steal his power. " At this point Bae didn't know he had ever been lost, and they thought it was best to keep it that way. 

"He's always had trouble believing in himself," Bae said. "But we love him anyway." He looked at his father with such love that she knew he understood.

"I never understood how either of you could love me," Rumplestiltskin responded honestly. "I've never been handsome, and I was green!" He gave a mischievous grin that they both knew was covering the emotions he found difficult to express. 

"I happen to think you are the most handsome man in either world," Belle told him. "Of course, I could be biased." She rose to stand beside him, and leaned over for a kiss. Bae, still at that age where he wasn't sure about girls, grimaced. 

"Could you not do that?" he asked. They both laughed and Belle went to make cocoa. It was time that Bae got into bed. It had been a pleasant evening but tomorrow was going to be a difficult day. 

They both went up with him, carefully tucking him in the bed. Belle had said her good nights, kissing the young man on the forehead as he lay in the bed, Arrow on the floor next to his bed. Then she left them, wanting to give him a little more time with his father. 

She woke in the middle of the night to a cold and empty bed. For a moment Belle wondered if something had gone wrong, but she knew better. He might still be overprotective, but Rumplestiltskin had learned his lesson after the last time he had crept out of the house to deal with something (he swore he didn't creep, which made her think he used magic, but that was another matter) without bothering to tell her first. She made her way to the bathroom first, to attend to the thing that woke her up in the first place, and then went to find him. 

Rumplestiltskin was still sitting on his son's bed, watching the boy sleep. She crept in quietly, not wanting to disturb either of them. She laid a quiet had on her fiancé's arm and he turned a sad smile at her. "You should be asleep," he whispered to her. "You need your rest."

"So do you; tomorrow is going to be a difficult day," she responded, no less protective of him. He smiled at her.

"It's no matter, I will be fine, but you have Bae's little sister to worry about," he said smiling. She understood, really she did. Tomorrow they would all go back to normal. Bae would be an adult again, no longer the kind, helpful boy who asked shyly to call her Mama. "I did mean it in New York, you know?" he whispered to her. "Part of me will always regret what I couldn't do, that I didn't have the courage to go with him, that I couldn't find him earlier. Then I look at you. If I had gone with him, I'd never have you, I wouldn't be about to be a father again, or have Henry for a grandson. I'd not have any of these things, and I can't regret that. He's a good boy and has become a good man." Belle was torn between dragging him back to bed, so he could get some sleep, (as the potion would still require magic to activate), and letting him sit with Bae. She looked at him, and she knew he needed the time. She slipped out of the room and grabbed a blanket from the linen cupboard. She tucked it around his shoulders before pressing a kiss to his forehead. 

He smiled and pulled her down for a proper kiss, having read her permission to stay. He'd never know exactly what he had done to deserve a woman who understood him so well, but he didn't much care, vowing as he did almost every day to do nothing to cause her to regret it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter title is from a song by Karine Polwart. It is all about family and love. Thank you to all who are reading, comments appreciated.


	14. Return

Belle woke the second time to find Rumplestiltskin sitting on the bed beside her. While she could tell at glance that he had not been to bed, the night still seemed to have done him a great deal of good. He seemed more...settled; some of the pain that had lingered in the depths of his deep brown eyes had been replaced with something else. She wasn't exactly sure what that something was, (acceptance perhaps?), but she knew it was good. It was if he had finally come to terms with what had happened, what his responsibility was and what he had no control over. 

"Morning, love," he said, smiling at her as he leaned down for a kiss.

"Morning. Where is Bae?" For the moment all was right with Belle's world. 

"He asked if I would let him cook breakfast for the two of us. I am supposed to keep you busy and then bring you downstairs." Belle went through two deeply divided reactions, not sure which one was the better. On the one hand she was pleased and proud of Bae, that he wanted to do something special for the two of them. On the other hand she was concerned for the state of her kitchen. Still, if it made him happy, then she would be suitably impressed. "So, how about a shower?" 

"Are you saying I need one?" Belle asked, mostly teasing. 

"No, I am saying that I desperately want to be alone with you, but we don't have a lot of time before breakfast," he whispered warmly as he leaned down to nibble on her ear. 

Belle allowed him to coax her from beneath the warm blankets and into the shower with him. He molded himself against her, burying his face in her hair and scattering hot kisses across her neck and shoulders. Rumplestiltskin might be completely comfortable with his decision, confident in the magic that would take his son from boy back to man, but it didn't mean that it was easy. He clung to her like a drowning man, and Belle rewarded him with her undivided attention. It was hardly the first time that he had sought escape in her arms, to forget everything else for a short while, or her in his either. They had been through a great deal together, just to get to this point. Sooner than either of them wanted, they dragged themselves from the shower. "Don't want to get too distracted," he whispered in her ear as he pulled reluctantly away. 

Too late for that, Belle thought, but there would be plenty of time for that later, when the events of the day were no longer hanging over their heads. Instead she took the towel he handed her and toweled off briskly. She avoided looking at Rumplestiltskin. It had taken him an awfully long time to accept that she actually wanted to look at him, that she found his body just as attractive as he found hers. But right now, it was a bad idea, leading them places they had no time for. Blaming it on the hormones, she distracted herself with thoughts of what kind of damage her soon-to-be step son was doing to her kitchen as she got herself dressed. 

As she started downstairs, Belle could smell sausages frying. Bae had enjoyed the big breakfasts; actually he had enjoyed all the food, eating as if each meal was going to be his last. She knew that he was, at least to him, coming from a time of limited food, and returning to it for that matter, though how all that worked was beyond her. In fact, Rumplestiltskin wasn't entirely certain. The notes Regina had found were not complete and while her theory was more or less sound, he explained, some of her modifications seemed to have been done more or less on a trial and error basis; and he wasn't certain she had noted all her variations. Certainly the effects of the spell were unpredictable and potentially dangerous to all concerned, which was why she had abandoned the effort. The sorcerer part of him might respect her ingenuity, but he deplored her methodology, not to mention her poor record keeping. 

Once again, something Belle tried not to concentrate on, focusing on the things she could handle. She would miss Bae in someways. He was a bright and serious boy, but she had enjoyed watching him, enjoyed seeing him play with Henry or with Arrow (or both). She had watched them climb the old tree at the bottom of the garden right where the forest started, and wondered exactly what they got up to while out and about with Rumplestiltskin (though after the puppy she wasn't exactly sure she wanted to inquire to closely; plausible deniability). It hadn't been easy for him either. He was, at least to his way of thinking, going back to his normal life, but that wasn't childhood, not as it was understood in this world. One of the things she loved about this world, actually, was that children got to be children. Not that they hadn't played and had fun, but most children, those like Bae, or Henry's friends; Hansel and Gretel, had responsibilities, chores that were far beyond what was expected of children in this world. When Belle had been Bae's age, she had already been reminded regularly of her role as her father's heir, and the need to learn to run a household when she married. Actually she hadn't been much older than he was when her father had first started to accept suitors for her. No waiting til after university to get married; actually no real university. Here they got an education, got opportunities that would be unthinkable back in their world. 

In the kitchen, she found Bae smiling as he turned the sausages out onto paper towels just the way he had watched her do. There was a plate piled high with toast, and there were eggs in the skillet. He was wearing his father's navy blue apron, and she couldn't help thinking at that moment how much like his father he looked. He looked happy. "Morning Mama," he said, "I made your special tea. Papa says you have to have it because of the baby." Bae gave her a hug and urged her to sit at the table, as Rumplestiltskin came in behind her. 

Breakfast was actually a pretty lively affair, considering. They all knew what was coming and no one wanted to think about it. Instead, Bae asked questions, and slipped sausages to Arrow, who was sitting quietly at his side looking hopeful and gobbling up whatever his master gave him. That she was pretty certain Rumplestiltskin was doing the same only made the moment more precious. 

All too soon, there was a knock at the door, and Arrow ran to the front of the house, barking all the way making certain that they were aware of the intruder. Belle couldn't help but feel a slight pang at having their family moment interrupted. But then Emma was their family; she was Bae's True Love, for all that they were still working on admitting it. And while Rumplestiltskin might grumble a little bit about family ties with the Charmings, it was far to late to do anything about that. He would also be the first to admit, somewhat grudgingly, that denying the course of True Love never did anyone any good, so there was very little that could be done about it. Not that he really wanted to, but admitting it was something he would probably only admit under torture, possibly not even then.

Bae looked up sharply, and she could tell that despite the brave face, he was a little bit concerned. Then he looked at his father and his confidence seemed to come back to him. Bae had a great deal of faith in his father, and that meant the world to him. Before she could rise, Rumple gestured her to stay and rose himself to let them in. Bae began to clear the plates from the table, refusing to allow her to help. "You need to rest, Mama. Let me do these things while I can," he said. She didn't know what to say to him.

"Do you think it will hurt?" he asked out of nowhere from by the sink. 

"I...I don't know," Belle answered. "I shouldn't think so. Your father probably thought about that when he was preparing it." She turned to look at him. He nodded absently as they heard footsteps and the tap of his father's cane from the other room. 

Emma Swan stepped into the kitchen, neatly sidestepping around the puppy dancing at her feet. She had a tote bag slung over one shoulder and a travel cup of coffee in her hand. Clearly she had learned that if she wanted coffee she needed to supply her own. "Morning, Belle, Bae," she said as she set the tote down on the table. Emma had adjusted, at least a little bit. She no longer hesitated before saying his name, or talking to or around him especially after Henry had told them that Bae knew, or had guessed about their relationship to one another. That had been a little embarrassing, or so Emma had told her privately. But she had recovered. 

"Good Morning, Emma; all by yourself this morning?" she asked. Honestly she was glad. There had been entirely too many people in and out. But she was a little surprised.

"Henry is with Regina this morning. I'm going to text them as soon as..." she paused but they all understood. She didn't want Henry to be there while they did it, especially if something went wrong. Not that anyone expected anything to go wrong. Rumplestiltskin had checked, double checked, and triple checked everything. But even he was proceeding cautiously. 

"I guess I should..." Bae said, uncertainly as she pulled clothes out of the bag for him. There was a pair of jeans like the ones he had been wearing when this happened, along with the rest, including a heavy coat for the outside, and trainers. He grabbed the pile a little shyly and excused himself to change, carefully leaving his constant companion in the kitchen. Arrow barked once before throwing himself down on the floor between Belle and Emma. 

"So, how is this going to work?" Emma asked as soon as the door was closed.

"I thought we would go out into the back garden. The risk of the magic going awry is extremely minimal, but I would rather Belle stay in the house," he said with little preamble. Belle opened her mouth to protest, but he took her hand gently in his. "Minimal doesn't mean nonexistent, love. This magic is very tricky, and I won't take the risk. You can watch from the house." His tone was implacable and one look at his face told her she would get nowhere. She turned to Emma, hoping for some support, but the Sheriff was studiously avoiding her eyes, pretending to pay attention to Arrow, who was busy making sure that there were no treats coming from that quarter. With more or less good grace, Belle gave in. After all, Rumplestiltskin had been distressed enough by the whole situation. There was no need to add to his concern. 

Bae came in looking like he had put on his father's clothes, or could have if his father was a larger man. "This are so long. I bet even longer than yours, Papa. Does this mean I am taller than you are?" he asked. 

"That you are, lad," Rumplestiltskin said, smiling at his son. "Though not sure where you get it from. Certainly wasn't from my side of the family. I suppose we had best get on with this, then, before you trip over the bottoms." She could see that the lightheartedness was covering a wealth of emotions that he was not willing or able to cope with right now. Instead, he left them to go down to the cellar and retrieve the potion. 

In the end it seemed so simple. They locked the unhappy puppy in the kitchen with Belle because "nothing about this procedure will benefit from the addition of a puppy." Rumple made his way into the garden with Bae and Emma. The Sheriff would not be left behind with Belle, and as there was no reason to forbid it (not that it would have done any good), he had allowed her to come with them. Belle might be forbidden to come with (though she only allowed it because adding to his fears served no one), but she stood at the window to watch. As they stepped off the porch into the winter-dead garden, Belle noticed Bae slip under his father's arm, letting Rumple lean against him instead of his cane. The two needed it, that momentary closeness, the reminder of a time when it had been the two of them against all comers. 

When they reached the center of the garden, Rumplestiltskin produced the potion, and with a familiar showman's flourish, the bottle began to glow slightly, that purple haze that Belle always associated with his magic. Bae took the bottle cautiously, and after a moment's hesitation, drank it down. The effects were almost instantaneous. The boy appeared to start to bend over, as if he was going to be sick, only to be caught by Emma and Rumple on either side. Then, with a flash of familiar smoke that obscured her vision, he disappeared to be replaced by the older Bae that Belle was familiar with. She wanted to run out to the garden straight away, but she resisted. After a moment, the three of them started back towards the house. In an almost mirror image, this time it was Rumplestiltskin under his son's arm, helping him back into the kitchen. 

Belle threw open the door to receive them and Arrow, true to the nature of puppies, charged out. He paused, looking at Bae. Then he barked, sniffed at him, and then barked again, before deciding that the strange looking creature before him was still, in fact, his master. Confused, he followed them into the kitchen, occasionally backing up and barking before sniffing again to reassure himself. 

"A dog, Papa? You bought me a dog?" the young man was saying as they led him to the table and he fell into the nearest chair.

Rumplestiltskin shrugged as he returned to his own chair. "It seemed a good idea at the time?" He looked tired now, as if all the energy had drained out of him; actually they all did. Belle set about fixing a pot of tea, while Emma reclaimed her travel mug of coffee.

"I would kill for one of those," Bae said. "Don't suppose you would spare me a sip?"

"Better," Emma said, fumbling for the tote bag and pulled out a thermos. "Thought we might need it."

"Awesome," Bae said, smiling at the comic look of distaste on his father's face. Belle handed him a cup. "You are a lifesaver, you know that?" he asked looking at Emma with that special smile, the one that reminded Belle of the way his father looked at her. The Sheriff, for her part, just waved it aside and focused on her phone where she was probably texting Regina to give her the good news. "Tea's ok, but right now...What happened?"

"How do you feel?" Belle asked, pouring tea into Rumplestiltskin's favourite cup, the one she had chipped so long ago before sitting down next to him. 

"Kind of like I just fell through a portal from another land, more or less. At least, that's the only thing I can compare it to. Kind of disoriented. What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Rumplestiltskin asked. 

"I was replacing a water heater, that part I know. I finished connecting everything, and testing it. There was this carved wooden soldier, I found it in the surround. No idea how it got there, but I took it out while I was working, didn't know what it was, just some random junk. After I was done, I went to get a look at what I had found and then...wham. After that things get a little weird." 

Emma looked up, putting her phone aside. "So what about the last couple of days? Anything?"

"Yes and no. It's hard to explain." He went quiet for a moment, drinking his coffee. "It's like I remember everything that happened, but as if it happened to me then, not now? Does that make any sense? Like my memories are shuffled out of order?" Bae stopped again, and reached out to put his hand on Emma's where it rested on the table. 

"You remember being here when you were fourteen," Rumplestiltskin said. 

"Kind of like that, yeah, only its fresh. Before today, I couldn't have told you what I was doing on some random day when I was a kid. But it brought it all back fresh, the day, taking the sheep out, planning to go catch rabbits with Morraine..."

"Old girlfriend?" Emma asked with a smirk that would have looked completely at home on his father's face. 

"Not exactly," Bae said, blushing just a little. "She was our neighbour when I was growing up. I haven't even thought about her in longer than I care to remember."

"And the first girl that he actually noticed as a girl," Rumple said, unable to resist teasing him just a little. "But as to the other thing...You would have to ask Archie, but I think somehow your memory is trying to put things in order, regardless of how they really happened. But that's only a guess."

"Maybe. I don't know. All I know is I feel...different about some things," he said looking at his father. There was a peace in the young man's eyes that made Belle's heart melt just a little. It seemed that something good had come out of the whole experience after all. They sat in silence for a while, just enjoying the peace that would end all too quickly. 

A few moments later the dog and the door went off together again, and Henry arrived with his other mother to greet his father and take him back home. This time they took the puppy too, and suddenly after all the hustle and bustle of the last few days, Rumplestiltskin and Belle were left alone in their own house. It took less than a moment for Belle to suggest that they spend the rest of the day in bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you in advance for hanging in there with me. This has been a bit difficult to write, but in my world Bae is alive and well and planning a life. Please, you know what to do. There will be one more post to this story.


	15. Epilogue:  What are you doing New Year's Eve?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions are answered.

Belle lounged comfortably on the settee waiting for Rumplestiltskin to return. It was New Year's Eve, and while the rest of the town was gathered for a party and dance in the center of town below the clock tower, the two of them had elected to stay in together. There was a fire burning on the hearth, soft music playing in the background, and her lover had gone into the kitchen to get them drinks, leaving her nothing to do but contemplate the fire and wait impatiently for his return. The difficulty with Bae had meant days of people in and out of the house, and they needed time together to recover. At least that had been settled. Actually, Belle could almost be grateful that it happened considering how things had turned out. 

Yesterday, with the emergency over to everyone's satisfaction, she had returned to the library. When she had dropped by the shop for lunch, she had found the two men in the back room as thick as thieves. Arrow the puppy was curled up asleep on the little bed in the back as well, and not two minutes after she came in, Henry had come rushing in. He had made it into the back room and started to say something when he realised she was there. They were up to something, she knew it; still, she had decided to leave them to it. There was something more relaxed about the way Baelfire was around his father, and when she came to the shop after finishing her day, he was still there, the two of them talking quietly in the back room. It made her heart fill to bursting to see them so comfortable with one another; though there was one odd side effect of his little adventure that would take some getting use to. Before he had been reverted to a teenager; Bae had occasionally teased her about becoming his step mother, but when she had seen him in the shop he had called her Mama. He'd apologised, after all; he was older than she was, but that one thing seemed to have imprinted on him. She wasn't sure how to feel about it, but she wouldn't regret letting him. Overall, there were worse things a step son could call you, regardless of situation. 

Still, after they had finished their days, the two of them had planned to ring in the new year, such as it was, together. Rumplestiltskin wasn't a big fan of the holiday; he found it pointless and never failed to point out that it had absolutely no astrological significance and was a ridiculous day for a holiday. Still, she reminded him that it meant that most people would not be working tomorrow, and that the library would be closed. It didn't take him long to develop a new appreciation for a holiday that meant the two of them could stay home together and celebrate...well, they never needed any excuse to celebrate anything at all. Her beloved had arranged an incredibly elegant dinner delivered from the best restaurant in town, and they had both dressed up. She had taken it as the right occasion for the cashmere sweater dress she had gotten on impulse when she had been dragged to Boston several months ago with Mary Margaret, Emma and Ruby, for a 'girl's weekend', they had called it. For the most part, Belle had gone along though, she really hated being away from Rumplestiltskin for very long. They had been separated for too long to really ever be comfortable with time away from one another. But she had to admit, his reaction had been almost worth it. The dress was incredibly soft and fit like a second skin, and Rumple had been suitably appreciative, with hints of being even more so later. She couldn't help but wonder if he appreciated the dress so much, how he would feel about the rest of his surprise. 

As if her thoughts conjured him, Rumplestiltskin entered the room, two elegant flutes on the tray along with a bottle of not-champagne, in deference to her current condition and something that looked suspiciously like some kind of sinfully dark chocolate. He had removed his suit jacket earlier and she had left his tie...somewhere; they would find it later, she was certain. For her part, the wide leather belt that went with the dress was draped over the back of the settee, and her heels had gone as soon as he had led her to sit, plucking them gently from her feet, before he laid them on the floor so he could caress her stocking-clad calves and gently rub her feet which had started to swell just a little bit. Actually Belle was a little curious. He had shown no interest in the holiday; in fact, had been derisive whenever it was mentioned. He had refused Snow and Charming's invitation to sit with them at the town celebration. But now he was holding back, refusing to allow her to distract him and drag him to bed for their own special celebration before the clock chimed midnight. Actually, she didn't insist that they wait that long, but he had been much more reluctant lately to repeat some of their past exploits, citing concern for the baby. As he had not been a father in a number of centuries, she was willing to grant him a certain amount of leeway, but it didn't stop her from trying to change his mind. Sometimes she even succeeded. Still, the way he had been earlier made her wonder exactly what he was waiting for. Because wait he was, she knew the signs, and if he hadn't something else planned, neither of them would still be decent. 

"I thought a little treat was in order," he said as he placed the tray carefully on the table one handed, before leaning his cane against the settee and lifting her feet to set them back in his lap when he settled beneath them. 

"What are you up to?" she asked. Rumplestiltskin had an incredibly expressive face, but in his human form, he was much better at closing off. The innocent look he gave her did absolutely nothing to correct her assertion that something was up. Her lover did innocent surprisingly well for a man well into his third century of life, but no one believed him, ever. Certainly she didn't. Instead she slid one stocking clad foot up the inside of his thigh, causing a hiss of pleasure to escape him before he captured her foot in his hand.

"What makes you think I am up to anything?" he asked, looking at her. His eyes had gone darker and there was a familiar expression on his face that told her he was trying to distract her. With her foot resting gently in his hand, Rumplestiltskin's other had slid slowly up her leg, slipping beneath the hem of her dress and sliding up further until he reached something different, lace and skin. "What is it you are up to, sweetheart?" he asked, fingers exploring the unfamiliar texture.

"Nothing," Belle told him. His looks spoke to his own disbelief. "Nothing," she reiterated. "I just dressed appropriately for a romantic evening for two." She could see the implications of that statement go through his mind, probably with a few added, filthy modifications. It had never taken much encouragement once they had gotten over the first awkward bits, for him to become amorous. 

With an oath, he slid both hands under her knees and dragged her into his arms. Belle gasped in surprise turning immediately to pleasure as he buried his face in her hair, murmuring something soft under his breath that she couldn't quite hear. At this moment, she didn't care. Rumplestiltskin was rubbing himself against the cashmere dress like a cat craving attention. She shouldn't be surprised that a former spinner would have so much appreciation for the soft fabric; actually, she was more surprised it had taken him this long. Most people wouldn't have taken either Rumplestiltskin or Mr. Gold, his Storybrooke alter ego, for a sensualist, but most people never got to see him like this. Most people seemed to have forgotten his love of silk shirts in the old world, and leather pants that had clung to him in a way that had started to haunt her back in the days at the Dark Castle when she was just starting to realise her feelings for him. 

"Belle, love," he whispered, his beautiful voice rich with desire. It sent shocks right through her, and she wondered briefly exactly what he had been holding back for, unless it was simply to drive her mad. He pressed kisses to her throat and nipped around the edge of her neckline, taking his time. For her part she was trying to get her hands to work, to get him out of his shirt which suddenly started to irritate her, for all that it was one of her favourites. Right now, it was keeping her away from what she wanted. 

She managed to get the first two buttons opened when the grandfather clock started to sound the quarter chimes. With an oath stronger than any Belle had ever heard from him before in her presence, he pulled away from her. "Rumple, what's the matter?" she said softly, still trying to get the button to let go.

Her lover took both of her hands in his, pulling them away from their task to kiss them both, before very carefully setting her back on the settee and rising. "Nothing at all, love; just thought you would want to resist getting too distracted before Midnight." It was a bland answer, and the fact that he had gotten up and was very carefully moving around the room without his cane told her that something was definitely going on. 

"Rumplestiltskin, you care nothing for this holiday," she said sharply. "And you know that I don't. I thought that it was about you and I spending time alone together. Is there something wrong? Are you keeping something from me?" she asked him. Suddenly she was feeling uncertain. It wasn't like him to resist her advances. Actually it wasn't like him not to have made them himself. Belle bit her lip and looked up at him, more uncertain than she had been since she had found out she was pregnant. 

"No, love, nothing like that," he said, instantaneously returning to her side as if teleported there, for surely a man with his limp couldn't move so fast. "I...I am simply..." He paused. 

"Then it is something that you are expecting to happen?" she asked. Now at least she could relax. It was some kind of surprise, that was easy enough to see. Perhaps waiting was not so bad.

"Please love, don't ask me?" He looked at her, those dark whiskey coloured eyes begging for her to accept and not question. If it was that important, she knew she could let it go, for just a little longer. She nodded. "Besides, I brought desert," he told her, looking at where he had set the tray before they had...gotten distracted. 

"What is it?" Belle asked, willing to let him continue. 

"Let me show you," Rumplestiltskin said in a tone that was definitely not conducive to turning her mind away from other things. But he set himself next to her, carefully, not brushing against her, though she knew he wanted to. Instead, he lifted a fork and cut off the first piece of the cake and set it aside (an old tradition, to make a wish on the first bite, eaten last) before taking the second bite and turning to her. "Belle."

She opened her mouth and let him feed her the most decandant chocolate dessert she had ever had. It was dark chocolate, with something... some kind of spicing that made it slightly hot. Belle gasped in pleasure and his eyes darkened further. 

"Am I to take it you approve then?" he asked her, one eyebrow slightly raised, that smirk she knew so well carrying across his face. 

"Amazing," she said. "Where did you get it, how..." 

"The little fairy, well, ex-fairy. I asked her to bake something special for you. It was a little...addition to the deal for that store front on Main Street, the one next to your father."

"Astrid is finally opening that bakery? That's wonderful. We have been telling her to do for ages, even Granny, and she makes the best pie in town."

"Yes, she has quite a talent. It is time she did something with it."

"And it will irritate the Blue Fairy, who keeps thinking that Astrid will come back," Belle said with a smile. That he and Blue were not fighting anymore was one thing. He would probably never stop doing little things to irritate her. Besides, as lovely as Astrid was, she was a disaster as a fairy, and everyone, including the Blue Fairy, knew it. 

"It might have that side effect, yes," he said carefully as if it mattered not at all to him. Belle smiled at his cheek, and let him feed her another piece before picking up the fork and returning the favour. They were half way through the piece (and almost as stirred up as they had been before, something incredibly intimate in the act of feeding another person, especially the person you loved) when the clock began again. "Midnight," Rumplestiltskin said, opening the bottle of sparkling something and pouring two glasses, while listening to the clock chime the hour. 

On the stroke of Midnight, he pulled her into his arms for a kiss- after all, some traditions were worth keeping- and they toasted the new year and one another, before Belle cuddled up against him, her head against his shoulder. "Where are Bae and Emma tonight?" she asked. She was a little surprised they hadn't stopped by earlier in the day, though she had seen Henry for about a half a minute before he ran off saying something about needing to get something finished. 

"I believe they were going to attend the celebration in town with Charming and Snow White, or at least part of it, for the rest...." he paused as there was a odd sound, muffled and mechanical. Rumplestiltskin rose and found his jacket where it had been thrown over a wooden chair, and pulled his cell phone from his pocket, the source of the odd sound, the vibration of the phone against the chair through his jacket. He looked at the screen, nodded quietly to himself and dropped the offending instrument back into his pocket. 

"What was that all about?" Belle asked, now more than ever before anxious to know what he was up to. 

"Nothing to worry about; I am sure that you will find out soon enough," he said sitting back down next to her and refilling her glass. She wanted to know what was going on. Curiosity had always been one of Belle's strongest traits. But she could see a contentment in her love's eyes that hadn't been there before. She started to question, but he only kissed her gently and told her that she would have her answers soon enough. But before she could ask another, the bell rang, and Rumplestiltskin rose, not the least bit surprised. He didn't bother buttoning up his shirt or reaching for his tie or jacket, so he knew or had a good idea of who it was. There were very few people he would allow to see him at less that his most formal. 

She heard the voices from the door, and turned on the settee. She hadn't bothered to do anything more than make sure her dress hadn't ridden up. Anyone who came around at Midnight on New Years Eve to Rumplestiltskin's house was either not someone she needed be concerned about, or in too much trouble to care. Into the room came the answer to her question: Bae, with Emma next to him, looking a little ill at ease, the way she hadn't been around them for a while. 

"I wanted, well, we wanted you to be at least one of the first to know," Bae said, not stopping to breathe. She could see in him once again the boy she had spent most of the last week with, the boy that had called her Mama (who still did, but probably as a joke, mostly). He reached for Emma's hand and pulled her further into the room. She looked caught between happier than Belle had ever seen her and wanting to sink through the floor. Bae held her hand out into the light, to show the small diamond ring on her finger. 

"She said yes," Bae said, without any other explanation, not that any was really needed. 

"I had a moment of weakness," Emma said, but they could all tell that she was joking. The shell of cynicism was as much a part of her as it was Rumplestiltskin, probably one of the reasons they understood each other so well. 

"Congratulation," Belle said, jumping off the settee to hug them both. 

Rumplestiltskin was less exuberant in his welcome, but that kind of excitement wasn't in him, not really. But he smiled at his son and gently kissed Emma on the cheek, probably the closest he had ever been with her. 

"You knew!" Belle accused as she watched him. "That is what you all have been up to. That's why Henry ran off earlier when I tried to talk to him." Emma looked at the two men standing near her with a new air of suspicion. 

"Who else would my son get a ring from, dearie?" he asked Emma with a smile that showed he wasn't the least bit sorry for his part. "Some of my best work, I think, next to Belle's of course."

"You made this?" Emma asked in surprise. It wasn't that she didn't know he spun straw into gold, though it was a bit fairy tale even for this town for her to have ever given it more than a passing thought. Looking at the ring closely, she could see it, dozens, maybe more tiny strands of gold making up the band, and the bezel around the stone. Rumplestiltskin bowed his head almost modestly, if it weren't for the impish smile. 

They stayed long enough for a glass of real champagne that Rumplestiltskin had pulled out, suspiciously cold and ready, along with two extra glasses. Belle, of course, had to settle for her own though Rumplestiltskin had shared a taste with her much to the distress of both of their guests. (Papa. Do you have to do that in front of us?) Emma was convinced to tell them how he had proposed at the top of the clock tower at the stroke of midnight, where she had been lured with the excuse that he needed to keep an eye on the mechanism to make sure it went off properly. Then Bae told them how her mother had seen the ring before they could escape the festivities, and how happy Snow had been. Henry, who had been in on it all the time, had been dispatched with Regina to spend the night at her place after hearing that his parents were getting married, and wanted a little 'quality time'. Even Regina had congratulated them before they broke away to tell his 'parents'.

"Just don't expect me to start calling you 'Mom and Papa'," Emma said to the two of them as they started to leave. 

"Of course not, Miss Swan," Rumplestiltskin said with just a little smirk. "But I think you have more important things to worry about than that, both of you. Perhaps you should consider that this will be the first royal wedding since your parents."

"Oh God, no..."

"Papa, I've just got her to agree; don't scare her off," his son said with some genuine concern. He looked to Belle for something, some help or reassurance.

"I am sure that we can do something to prevent Snow from getting out of hand, Emma. I'll help," she said reassuringly. 

"Thanks Belle; I will hold you to that. But right now, I think Bae and I need to leave you two to get back to whatever you were up to before we got her. See you finally found an occasion for that dress." 

This time Emma was smirking at them. Of course, this time she had not caught us up to anything, Belle thought as they closed the door and her arms went around Rumplestiltskin. It was only in looking at him that she realised what Emma was talking about. There was a lipstick mark on the inside of Rumple's collar, and a small love bite on his collabone, revealed where she herself had undone his shirt. She would have almost blushed, but why should she? Certainly she was not now, nor would she ever be, ashamed of her love for the man before her. 

"Now my love," Rumplestiltskin said, his eyes gone dark. "I believe you said something about being properly dressed for a romantic evening. I think I would like to see exactly what all that entails."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now we have come to the end of a long strange journey. This has been a very long story to write, much longer than I ever thought it would be, and held up by various things, including three current series one shots that just wouldn't go away. Thanks to Lauren, my beta, for helping. Thanks to everyone who hung in there for this. The next part of the series might be a bit, just because I need to get back to Enemies and Friends. Please, you know what to do. 
> 
> I can now be found on tumblr under rioghna7

**Author's Note:**

> This is really different from the usual stories in this series. First of all their is a real non fluffy plot . If you are looking for Christmas Eve and Christmas they will come around but this is where my muse went first, and I will get back to them. Thanks as ever to my beta Lauren, and hopefully you can read, review, and enjoy.


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